工會要求加薪幅度追得上通脹大家見慣，但這要求其實不一定合理：若加薪一定等如通脹，即僱員的平均購買力永不改變。但隨著發展中國家越發富有，他們的國民對各式物品的需求亦會上升，要維持已發展地區的購買力則供應必須同時增加。生產效率還在上升中的產品如電子器材還有可能是這樣，但有些供應相對固定的物品則不大可能。
這情況在眾多物資均來自大陸的香港會特別顯著。香港人還是有心理準備工資遲早追不上物價。
While it is common for unions to ask for raises that compensates for inflation, it is necessarily a reasonable request: if pay raise always equal inflation, then employees’ purchasing power can never change. Given that developing regions are becoming richer, maintaining purchasing power in developed region is only possible through increase in supply of goods. This is possible for products which productivity is still on the rise—such as electronics—but quite impossible for many other goods.
This phenomenon is particularly apparent in Hong Kong, where a significant proportion of goods come from Mainland China. Residents of Hong Kong will have accept a degree of decline in purchasing power eventually.