Yea, in my industry most employers give a piddly 2-3% annual COL raise, which is then whittled down to nothing (or less than nothing) after the new "changes to

Yea, in my industry most employers give a piddly 2-3% annual COL raise, which is then whittled down to nothing (or less than nothing) after the new "changes to our medical benefits to align us with the rest of the industry and make us more competitive" are announced during open enrollment each fall. Factor in inflation and you effectively take a pay cut every year until you 'hop' to your next job.