Monday, September 5, 2005

Ohio Productivity Up, Wages Down, Group Says

The Associated Press

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.


 

 

Cincinnati Enquirer  09/05/2005

 

Fair Use Notice

 

Policy Matters Ohio   2912 Euclid Avenue   Cleveland, OH  44115

ph: 216/931-9922   fax: 216/931-9924

http://www.policymattersohio.org

Policy Matters Ohio is a non-profit policy research organization founded in January 2000 to broaden the debate about economic policy in Ohio. Our mission is to conduct high-quality research promoting decisions which benefit our whole community. Given the challenges of a rapidly-changing economic system, rising wage inequality, new issues in education and changes in the way work is organized, it is imperative that Ohio workers have a voice in the economic debate.

 

Policy Matters provides real-world analysis focused on issues that matter to low- and middle-income workers in Ohio. Our findings are accessible to the public, the media, and policy makers. We hope to strengthen democracy by providing Ohio's citizens with the essential tools to participate in the public discussion on the economy. We believe this will result in economic policies that better reflect the public interest.