The Growth in Hourly Wages Over the Past 50 Years

The growth in hourly wages over the past 50 years has averaged about 2 percent per year. However, the growth in Social Security pensions has far exceeded this 2-percent rate. The growth in tax revenue to finance Social Security benefits in excess of 2 percent per year can be accounted for by:

A) increases in payroll tax rates.
B) use of other taxes beside the payroll tax to pay Social Security benefits.
C) an increase in the number of workers paying Social Security taxes.
D) either a or b
E) either a or c