'Real Income' Drops for First Time Under Trump
A measure of Americans’ inflation-adjusted household income has dipped for the first time since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last January.
According to a newly updated estimate from Motio Research, a U.S. economy-focused think tank, the Real Median Household Income Index dropped 0.3 percent in December 2025 to 118.6 from 119 in November. The index has steadily risen since early 2023—having fallen from its 2020 peak—and December’s drop, Motio notes, is the first month-to-month decline since January 2025.
Dana M. Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, wrote: “Confidence collapsed in January, as consumer concerns about both the present situation and expectations for the future deepened.”
“Consumers’ write-in responses on factors affecting the economy continued to skew towards pessimism,” she said. “References to prices and inflation, oil and gas prices, and food and grocery prices remained elevated. Mentions of tariffs and trade, politics, and the labor market also rose in January, and references to health/insurance and war edged higher.”
https://www.newsweek.com/real-income-drops-first-time-under-trump-11424974#Echobox=1769576601]
I'm retired on disability,,,,our local taxes just went up big time. Unexpected emergencies were one thing. They are suing for the damages done by the utility company. The years of using contingencies to cover tax increase is over.
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