[1rudeboy]

. . . but it's added a net 11.6 million jobs in service and other sectors where average wages are higher than in manufacturing.

[1rudeboy]

What a terrible turn of events. Where can the nation find a woman to lead us out of this mess?

[Toddsterpatriot]

The only good job is a manufacturing job. It doesn’t matter how much less it pays.

[Lijahsbubbe]

The critics have it all wrong: The middle class isn't disappearing — it's moving up.

Of course it's moving up, and also disappearing. Eventually we will have workers making wages comparable to the rest of the world and there will only be two classes, the poor and the elite.

[malia]

bump

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Even (if) so-called free trade were to be resulting in our once-mighty economy actually added jobs — a rather absurd claim on its face — those jobs are now being paid. In a rapidly shrinking currency.

A direct result, of a mind boggling foreign trade deficit.

Fact is *all* Americans are paid less, every day now.

Gee. This so-called free trade is just great.

Thanks Wal*mart.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

My "free trade" objections are almost 100 percent to do with Red China. There is no question that free trade is essential. Now on to the question.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average real hourly compensation earned by Americans has actually grown by 22 percent during the past decade — even as trade and other measures of globalization have grown rapidly.

I wish these guys would cite their sources -- maybe I wouldn't have to ask. BLS is pretty big.

Employment, Hours, and Earnings from the Current Employment Statistics survey (National) Yes, wages are up including adjusting for inflation no doubt.

Total Private Average Hourly Earnings of Production Workers - Seasonally Adjusted, January

1997 12.29

2007 17.10

It appears that production workers include these sectors Goods-producing; Natural Resources and Mining; Construction; Manufacturing; Private Service-providing; Trade, Transportation and Utilities; Wholesale Trade; Retail Trade; Transportation and Warehousing; Information; Financial Activities; Professional and Business Services; Education and Health Services; Leisure and Hospitality; and Other Services.

For example,

Private Service-providing Average Hourly Earnings of Production Workers - Seasonally Adjusted, January

1997 11.84

2007 16.77

Manufacturing Average Hourly Earnings of Production Workers - Seasonally Adjusted, January

1997 12.99

2007 16.98

However..

Total Private Average Hourly Earnings, 1982 Dollars - Seasonally Adjusted, January

1982 7.89

1997 7.61

2007 8.36

Total Private Average Hourly Earnings, 1982 Dollars - Not Seasonally Adjusted, January

1982 7.94

1997 7.66

2007 8.42

With a base year as an index the increases are not in the twenty-two percent neighborhood. (Sill an increase of course.) Isn't this index a better indicator of how well off the average wage earner is?

Notice the drop between 1982 and 1997 and now the increase, does this suggest we're adjusting to our "new" economy? IOW, can't both sides be more or less right? It hurt for awhile but we're making the adjustments.