> So... the median worker is making something closer to minimum wage than before? I believe they're expressing that wages are increasing and the inequality in

> So... the median worker is making something closer to minimum wage than before? I believe they're expressing that wages are increasing and the inequality in the lower half is decreasing. As is spelled out in the line previous, increasing minimum wage are but one factor. As for your other questions, there are a couple of points. First, the notion of "benefits" doesn't translate easily across national borders. What employer-dericed benefits are common, their costs, and so on can all vary wildly. This makes comparisons very difficult. Your second question, about education, is an excellent one! It sounds like a great subject to do follow-up work on. I confess I have no idea how to go about calculating such a thing data from N different countries, but I'm sure someone has a good way of figuring this out.