Why is a secure standard of living harder to reach than a generation ago?
a walkthrough with stand-ins — a demonstration, not a finding · 21 certified links · outlined boxes are the roots · tap a claim to read it in full
Showing every action the room judged: it acts directly on 2 of the 6 root causes. It does not act directly on 4.
Anyone without them was priced out of ever holding them → Assets rose faster than wages for four decadesA single wage no longer supports a household → Anyone without them was priced out of ever holding themA single wage no longer supports a household → Assets rose faster than wages for four decadesA single wage no longer supports a household → The things that used to be bought once are now rented foreverAssets rose faster than wages for four decades → The things that used to be bought once are now rented foreverProductivity rose and pay stopped following it → Anyone without them was priced out of ever holding themProductivity rose and pay stopped following it → Bargaining power moved from labour to capital gradually and completelyProductivity rose and pay stopped following it → Assets rose faster than wages for four decadesThe things that used to be bought once are now rented forever → Anyone without them was priced out of ever holding themDebt made the fall invisible until it was not → The statistics say the median is fine and the median household disagreesDebt made the fall invisible until it was not → Risk was transferred to households and called flexibilityA household absorbs shocks that used to be absorbed by an institution → Anyone without them was priced out of ever holding themThe share of output going to wages fell and nobody decided it → Risk was transferred to households and called flexibilityThe measured rate of inflation is not the rate a young family faces → A single wage no longer supports a householdThree employers in a town is not a market for workers → Anyone without them was priced out of ever holding themThree employers in a town is not a market for workers → Bargaining power moved from labour to capital gradually and completelyThree employers in a town is not a market for workers → Assets rose faster than wages for four decadesThe cost of the essentials rose faster than the basket used to measure inflation → The things that used to be bought once are now rented foreverTraining is an employer cost, so nobody trains anyone → A skill has a shorter life than a careerClassification as self-employed removes protections without removing dependence → Training is an employer cost, so nobody trains anyoneProductivity rose and pay stopped following itProductivity rose and paystopped following itwhat the shown actions do to this root causeNO ACTION ACTS ON ITDIRECTLYDebt made the fall invisible until it was notDebt made the fallinvisible until it was notA household absorbs shocks that used to be absorbed by an institutionA household absorbs shocksthat used to be absorbed byan institution①what the shown actions do to this root causeREDUCED BY 1 ACTIONThe share of output going to wages fell and nobody decided itThe share of output goingto wages fell and nobodydecided itThe measured rate of inflation is not the rate a young family facesThe measured rate ofinflation is not the rate ayoung family faceswhat the shown actions do to this root causeNO ACTION ACTS ON ITDIRECTLYThree employers in a town is not a market for workersThree employers in a townis not a market for workerswhat the shown actions do to this root causeNO ACTION ACTS ON ITDIRECTLYThe cost of the essentials rose faster than the basket used to measure inflationThe cost of the essentialsrose faster than the basketused to measure inflationClassification as self-employed removes protections without removing dependenceClassification asself-employed removesprotections withoutremoving dependence②what the shown actions do to this root causeREDUCED BY 1 ACTIONTraining is an employer cost, so nobody trains anyoneTraining is an employercost, so nobody trainsanyoneA single wage no longer supports a householdA single wage no longersupports a householdwhat the shown actions do to this root causeNO ACTION ACTS ON ITDIRECTLYBargaining power moved from labour to capital gradually and completelyBargaining power moved fromlabour to capital graduallyand completelyRisk was transferred to households and called flexibilityRisk was transferred tohouseholds and calledflexibilityThe statistics say the median is fine and the median household disagreesThe statistics say themedian is fine and themedian household disagreesA skill has a shorter life than a careerA skill has a shorter lifethan a careerThe things that used to be bought once are now rented foreverThe things that used to bebought once are now rentedforeverpart of a feedback loop⟳Anyone without them was priced out of ever holding themAnyone without them waspriced out of ever holdingthempart of a feedback loop⟳Assets rose faster than wages for four decadesAssets rose faster thanwages for four decadespart of a feedback loop⟳
WHAT WAS PREDICTED TO FOLLOW
Each number on the map marks a root cause that action reduces.
① Measure inflation for the essentials separately, and publish it
we expect: the price of the things people cannot avoid buying has its own number
measured by: months until an essentials index is published
due 25 Sep 2027
guesses: the room: 14 (median of 15, spread 6 to 30)
② Competition policy that counts employers as well as sellers
no prediction about this action yet
③ Tax the asset at the rate of the wage
no prediction about this action yet
A map from True Causes: a group’s judgement, not a measurement.