New Jobs Created Are Nearly All Low-Wage

[Brickbat]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/07/27/new-jobs-created-are-nearly-all-low-wage/

So, even as there are still 4.7 workers for every one job, the jobs that are being created are primarily low-wage—and the wages in those jobs have fallen disproportionately, according to a new report by the National Employment Law Project (NELP).

From the first quarter of 2010 through the first quarter of 2011, the most recent data available, lower-wage occupations grew by 3.2 percent, with retail salespersons, office clerks, cashiers, food preparation workers and stock clerks topping the list. Mid-wage occupations, including paralegals, customer service representatives and machinists, grew by only 1.2 percent, while higher-wage occupations declined by 1.2 percent, which includes occupations like engineers, registered nurses and finance workers.

While overall, wages have fallen 0.6 percent since the start of the recession, lower-wage jobs have declined by 2.3 percent since the start of the recession. In mid-range occupations, wages declined by -0.9 percent while wages in higher-wage jobs actually rose by 0.9 percent.