Yes, but that also applies to the dollars in discussion. Hence, the increase to account for not only inflation of the currency itself, but the factors for which those dollars are intended: cost of living. This is skewed because of the non-commodity based funny money we have. Fiat currency with no backing standard is utter bullshit. It's the most glittery of unicorn farts.
When buying power is reduced, one needs more to do the same things. Look at Venezuela or the Weimar Republic and how utterly useless their cash is/was.
All in all, we are a poorer nation and the minimum wage increase as a necessity to account for other factors being inflated is merely a symptom.
It would be absurd to say someone from 1968 to say, "hell, I went through college with no debt, bought a house, and my wife stayed home, all on 30k a year!" to someone today.
Example: 1913 $1 = ~$0.4; should someone from 1913 be alive and balk at the minimum wage in 1968 (~$1.60), because "I made a nickel an hour in my day!". Well good for you. Your nickel is now worth ~$1.60 in buying power in 1968.
But other factors rose too, and not in an equal fashion, so the buying power is reduced further.
With the only standard for currency value to be whatever TPTB come up with, we'll continue to see these symptoms increase until it blows up in a massive, horrible, global economic disaster.




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