Paycheck has yet to make recovery (Chicago Trib)

Such good news for workers in the middle of the Christmas season when few read the paper......

<snip>http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0412260372dec26,1,6298026.story?coll=chi-business-hed


More than three years into the economic recovery, U.S. workers' hourly wages continue to decline when adjusted for inflation with little hope of a dramatic turnaround anytime soon.

The long, lean times for salary increases have led some experts to wonder if a fundamental shift is under way even as productivity levels remain high and corporate profits continue to soar.

Beyond the temporary factors contributing to a sluggish recovery from the recession of 2001, some believe that globalization, the movement of jobs offshore and the declining influence of trade unions could be putting pay envelopes on a permanent diet. Some companies have concluded that the past practice of hiking wages faster than inflation is no longer needed to keep employees from leaving. It may never, in fact, be needed again.
<snip>
The facts are even more dismal then this article states. Wages are lower today ($8.21 in 1982 chained dollars) then 32 years ago($9.07) . This is not "the nature of the economy" This is due to government policy. De-unionization, lowering of the min wage through inflation, and many other ploys to weaken the citizens avenues to redress grievances. We have allowed democracy to diminish, and the conservatives are busy conserving the economic elites power over the rest of us.

"Some companies have concluded that the past practice of hiking wages faster than inflation is no longer needed to keep employees from leaving."

"a very scant few" since salaries have never kept pace with inflation.