Two-part question:
1) What is the projected cost-of-living increase (inflation index?)
for the U.S. for 2002?
2) How are corporate salaries tending in general at this time? Is
there an upward momentum and if so, quantify it. If salaries
throughout corporate America are tending to be static or to fall at
this time, then to what degree is this happening?
Please cite your sources.

Hello dgc-ga,

Here is a selection of ways to measure the cost of living increases in
the US as well as the projections for earnings for the coming year.
All of these sites offer a variety of resources to further explore the
question. Enjoy!

czh

http://www.bls.gov/cpi/
The Consumer Price Indexes (CPI) program produces monthly data on
changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative
basket of goods and services.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX: NOVEMBER 2002

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) was unchanged
in November, before seasonal adjustment, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  The
November level of 181.3 (1982-84=100) was 2.2 percent higher than its
level in November 2001.

The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers
(CPI-W) rose 0.1 percent in November, prior to seasonal adjustment. 
The November level of 177.4 was 2.1 percent higher than the index in
November 2001.

http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/latestCOLA.html
Latest Cost-of-Living Adjustment 
The latest COLA is 1.4 percent for Social Security benefits and SSI
payments. Social Security benefits will increase by 1.4 percent
beginning with the December 2002 benefits, which are payable in
January 2003. Federal SSI payment levels will also increase by 1.4
percent effective for payments made for the month of January 2003.
Because the normal SSI payment date is the first of the month and
January 1 is a holiday, the SSI payments for January are always made
at the end of the previous December.

http://www.coli.org/
ACCRA produces the Cost of Living Index to provide a useful and
reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences among urban
areas.
Click to Compare Your Cities of Choice
Over 320 cities to choose from! 
Data represent the index calculated for...
2002 Third Quarter. 
http://www.salary.com/compensation/layoutscripts/cmpl_newsround.asp
Average pay increase below budgeted amounts (12/11/02)
The Conference Board reports that U.S. average pay increases for 2003
will be 3.6%, just below the 4.0% previously budgeted. The study
reports an expected average of 3.8% for executives, 3.7% for exempt
salaried employees, and 3.6% for nonexempt salaried employees. Hourly
workers will come in at the expected increase of 3.5%. The Conference
Board attributes economic uncertainty to the dip in expected payouts.

Well-balanced, complete, and well-documented. An excellent effort.