If I used to make $78k as a full time IT employee, but now have to work two jobs to make $78k, I still have same household income but I’m considerably worse than before.
A combination of hours worked, wages earned and household debt together would paint a much more accurate picture.
It's less common to report, but in the aftermath of the financial crisis I remember hearing more about it. You can construct a chart in FRED that covers it:
This would need data to contextualize.
If you lose your job in a depression there will be plenty of people willing to buy assets at a discount. If you have equity in your home then your position will be net positive. About half of all mortgages have an outstanding balance less than 50% of the home's value.
But if you owned a house in Detroit from 2003-2010 it might have dropped 70-80%. Or, more on point for many on HN, if you own a house in the Bay Area worth $2-$3M with 25% equity, and the tech job market collapses, then you might get completely wiped out.
Or for some loan you need to pay monthly 5% of your income (for iphone or car), and other loan need you to pay 50% of your income (mortgages). You cannot count them in the same way...
Or for some loan you need to pay monthly 5% of your income (for iphone or car), and other loan need you to pay 50% of your income (mortgages). You cannot count them in the same way. And mortgage can have 1% interest rate or 6%...
(No comment on the current reality of medical debt, of course. Just a general principle.)
There is a huge quantity of data about the US.