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Interesting claim, but I don't think that it is true. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, wages have risen substantially in constant terms since 1991. If the number of "living wage" jobs had actually declined, then average wages would have fallen. Here's the link and I've reproduced some of the chart below using the December numbers for each year. You'll note that the number is just a constant showing what the percentage of the average wage was versus 1989. In other words, if an employee was paid $10.00 per hour in 1989, he'd be earning $10.10 per hour in 19991 (in 1989 dollars):

Civilian workers

1991....101.0

1992... 101.5

1993....102.3

1994....102.6

1995....102.8

1996....102.4

1997....104.0

1998....105.9

1999....106.6

2000....107.4

This chart show all civilian workers. Let me guess, you'll argue that all of the gains were among white collar and professionals and that the average worker didn't experience the same gains. Wrong! The following chart shows "blue collar" gains during the same period.

1991....100.0

1992....100.7

1993....101.6

1994....101.7

1995....101.7

1996....101.0

1997....101.9

1998....103.1

1999....103.7

2000....104.5

Feel free to check for yourself at

ftp://146.142.4.23/pub/suppl/ECI.ECCONST.TXT

NAFTA happened during the 1990s and average wages rose almost 7% over and above inflation during the same period. Blue collar wages rose 4.5% over inflation during the same period. In other words, free trade does not hurt the American worker and benefits us all.

I encourage you to look at the data yourself. Pay special attention to the period before NAFTA and GATT. Wages were stagnant or even delined. That's what protectionism provides and does for the american worker while making all of us pay higher prices for goods.