But the data are just as notable for what they don't say, according to the report by EPI economist Elise Gould. Increases in wages at the top are outpacing economists' ability to measure them because the federal survey tracking the wage data "top-codes" the highest earnings amounts: For confidentiality reasons, wages are fully recorded only up to a certain threshold. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, which jointly administer the survey, haven't changed that threshold in 20 years, even as top incomes have skyrocketed. As a result, the survey is capturing less information on top pay than it used to.