Ohio Productivity Up, Wages Down, Group Says
Posted September 05, 2005 in Press Releases
The Cincinnati Enquirer
CLEVELAND - Median wages for Ohio workers have declined in the past four years and continue to trail the nation despite increases in worker productivity, education and work hours, according to a report released Sunday.
Researchers with Policy Matters Ohio analyzed employment and demographic information. The group's report looks at Ohio wages, household income, education and employee productivity numbers and examines whether low and moderate-wage workers are falling behind economically.
"The fact that we've actually seen declining median wages for the last four years is really alarming," said Amy Hanauer, the organization's executive director and an author of the report.
Mark Schweitzer, an economist and vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, said long-run comparisons are tricky.
He suggests that consumers should look at their everyday experiences as consumers to determine whether they are better off today than in previous years.