Boston-Area Pay Up 2.4%, Prices Up 3.6%. Is That a Raise?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday that private-sector wages in the Boston-Worcester-Providence area rose 2.4% in the year through September. Nationally: 3.1%.

Of the 15 biggest metros the bureau tracks, only Minneapolis-St. Paul (2.0%) and Houston (2.2%) were slower. Seattle-Tacoma was at 4.1%.

A day earlier, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said the PCE price index rose 3.6% over the same year. Do the subtraction yourself. (The BLS uses a different inflation measure and doesn't publish adjusted figures for metros, so this is rough math, not an official number.)

A year ago, Boston-area private wages were growing 3.2%. Total compensation is still outpacing pay, which suggests benefits costs are eating some of the raise.

What we still don't know: which industries are dragging the Boston number down, and whether it rebounds in 2027.