The minimum wage is one such measure.

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But pay curbs will be more painful to impose this year than last: the broader measure of retail prices often used in wage negotiations is now rising at 3.7%, whereas it fell through most of 2009.

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The first is regression analysis, which seeks to measure whether an outcome, such as wage differentials between blacks and whites, is correlated with race once all other relevant factors, such as education and experience, are taken into account.

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The union wants wage increases tied to the Consumer Price Index, a federal government measure of inflation.

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For homebuyers, the best measure of the real rate is the gap between the average mortgage rate and annual wage growth.

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Ten states have announced an increase in their minimum wage effective January 1, mostly because their legislation requires an adjustment to the Consumer Price Index inflation measure.

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