|
Public Employee Press
The World of Work
Wages fall behind inflation
The country is four years into a so-called economic expansion,
but the growth doesnt show in workers paychecks.
Despite rising productivity, working people arent getting their
fair share. Compared to a year ago, from July through September of this
year, wages were 2.3 percent lower after inflation, which is now running
at about 5 percent.
Government surveys show that real wages havent even risen by 1 percent
a year between 1979 and 2003.
Causes include global downward pressure on pay, the drop in the real value
of the minimum wage, labor-saving technology and the declining bargaining
clout of unions.
| |