Final answer:
The correct answer is option c) mean.The statement about the average wage earner's income likely refers to the mean, which is skewed by high earners and can result in an average that is higher than the incomes of the lower 50 percent.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering the statement 'The average wage earner's income is substantially higher than the lowest 50 percent of wage earners', it is most likely referring to the mean income.
This is because the mean is sensitive to extreme values or outliers, such as very high income earners, which can elevate the average above the median.
The median represents the middle value, so 50 percent of earnings are above it and 50 percent are below. The mode is the most frequently occurring value and doesn't reflect the disparity between high earners and the rest.
In the given statement, the mention of the average being higher than the incomes of the lower 50 percent suggests the mean is being used, as it could be skewed by higher incomes.