system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: If inflation hovers around 1%-3%, does a 2.5% raise at work just mean you're keeping up with inflation?

& if that's the case, does ones standard of living just remain constant? (assuming you stay at a 2.5% increase year-over-year)
gpt
More or less. Inflation is a measure of the average price of goods in an economy, so assuming your spending is relatively average with regards to category (food, rent, transportation) then your cost of living increases with inflation. 

As such, a raise of roughly the rate of inflation is just keeping you at the same level.