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Growth not flowing into wages

Not surprising that money flows to the top of the corporate chain instead of to the workers. That's why corporate pirates are alive and well. And that's why the working class continues to struggle for just a basic living, need at least two jobs in the house or have to have both parents working.

It's hard to trust anything from EPI. They're a group funded by labor unions and liberal interests to cloak their calls for higher taxes, expanded welfare programs, and stronger unions in a veil of respectability by calling themselves economists. I've often seen their data manipulated in ways that promote those interests while an objective look would show opposite conclusions. It's a shame the Utah Children group affiliates with them and with groups like the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. These groups are the Left's counterpart to the Cato Institute or the Sutherland Institute (locally speaking) -- you have to take whatever they say with a hefty dose of skepticism (not just a grain of salt!).

Bottom line, The cost of living goes up faster than my paycheck. I don't need a formal study to figure that out.

"Never trust the 'data' or 'statistics' of a group with an agenda." Both these groups are agendized and have at the very least distorted the data and the facts. The Deseret News would have done a better job of reporting had they also talked to researchers/economists who are not so biased.

Wonk and Anonymous get real. You can down this groups statistics all you want, but they are right. Companies are not paying a living wage, corporate fat cats are lining their pockets on the backs of the workers, the cost of living has increased in Utah dramatically over the years as well as taxes. Utah is one of the highest tax states in the nation. Stop with all your conservative clap trap and liberal bashing long enough to realize what is going on in this country of ours. It would serve us all better.

Well said. Corporate profits are up, disposable income in down. No proselytizing for one agenda or another is going to change that.

Anyone who can't see that has their heads in the sand.

unfortunately, workers having disposable income is what fuels a strong economy, and what made this country strong from 1930 to about 2000.

I'm afraid I have to agree with this article (and I'm definitely not a liberal). My husband's wages (computer programmer) haven't gone up in seven years, while the cost of living, such as electricity, gas, food, clothing, property tax, kids in college :^), for us has increased dramatically. The only reason we haven't gone bankrupt is that I have gone back to work. I would rather not work, but in the current wage climate here in Utah, I feel forced into it.

Sorry to burst your bubble, Jason, but the 1930's had something called the "Great Depression." Also, life wasn't so great in the 70's. I don't think you know your American history as well as you should. Maybe it was a typo.

Agreed. Utah has a huge problem; cost of living, housing, gas, etc...has gone up and in some cases (i.e. real estate) has gone through the roof. Utah wages don't = utah income. Sadly, it never will be equal. Good for companies who come to utah to save a few bucks because they know Utahn's are highly talented hard working people that can literally do anything that a person in NYC could do for 1/2 the price. ROCK AND A HARD PLACE!

My bad...correction on previous posting, Utah wages don't = Cost of living.

Jason, If you would earn a real education and get a better job you could improve your life. But, crying because you want more money for your limited skills just does not cut it.

First of all most americans are not conservitive or liberal, but moderate. The rich push this labeling so americans wont get together and talk about real issues. They own the news, television, and almost all publishing. We almost cant afford to send our chidren to college, any more and if you have young children they might not be able to go, and then their chances of buying a home is gone. Starter homes are now about 250,000. In 16 years they could be twice that. Are wages keeping up?

I agree. But where would you get paid better for that education, skills and experience? Not Utah. Colorado, for example, has approximately the same cost of living as Utah (now that home prices have risen here) but pays significantly better. Location is almost as important as skills IMO.

Just curious, but how would all of you people complaining about wages solve the wage growth problem? Put the government in charge of setting wages? YIKES!

There is one problem that needs to be fixed around wages and that�s taking care of illegal immigration. When businesses can pay less money under the table to an illegal alien, then that depreciates wages for everyone.

People that sneer at those that do not have college degrees, are part of the problem. If every person in this country had a P.H.D. your salaries would be nothing. Somebody has to build, repair, grow, make things. The new trend in this country is to ever incease the degree needed to do certain jobs, fromm B.S. to Masters, to P.H.D. The degree for a C.P.A. went up from a B.S. to a masters in Utah a few years ago and thats great but the job skills are still a form of accounting. The time spent in college could be spent learning the job by doing it. People in the United States are not growing up knowing how to work because they have no duties to preform. They are all geared up for college and not how to work after.

Utah Wife,

Computer industry wages have not increased because in the late 90s there was a huge boom and in the early part of this decade there was a huge bust. And now there is a lot of outsoucing. There are still a lot of computer programmer and other computer professionals doing other things for a living because the industry still has not recovered from the bust and probably never will. I am one who is thankful just to have a job even if I am getting paid the same about I was several years ago.

I don't know about other industries, but I do know that this is one of the causes of the current credit crisis. Inflation without wage growth can't last for long. If it is corporate greed, than those resposible will pay the price. In a recession, eventaully everyone suffers.

Besides the war in Iraq, the economy will probably doom the Republicans (except in Utah where Attila the Hun could rise from his grave and beat the local Democrat by 20 points). The talking heads on these business shows (most of the conservative Republican ilk) keep telling us how the econcomy is expanding and that the market looks good. The problem is that many of us in the so-called middle class have no disposable money to invest in the market. Most homes are now dual income, sometimes one or both of the spouses have two or more jobs. Kids have less contact with their parents and this causes many of our social ills. It isn't the Hollywood liberal elites causing this but the corporations. I saw that even conservative business expert Ben Stein (remember him from Ferris Bueller Day's Off) said it was time to raise the taxes on the very rich from 33% on the high end to 36.5%. He said he could afford it. I would hate to see Hillary get elected but until the Republicans quit with the dillusions that everything is all rosy and quit blaming everything on the War on Terror and 9/11, the Democrats and Hillary will win the White House. The Democrats have seized Congress so it is about time the Republicans wake up and realize that the middle class is shrinking, the quality of life is lessening (do we all remember a time when Mom could stay at home and the family made ends meat?) and people are very concerned about having health care, finding affordable housing and paying for kids college education (all of which is skyrocketing out of control). These are my worries, I've long gave up trying to find money to invest in the stock market.

What we presently have is an immense pressure that is unbalancing the supply and demand system in regard to competitive wages in this country. Why compete for labor, when business can rely on yet another foreigner? The millions of workers who are here or even overseas, competing for jobs, who are willing and able to work for wages that will not sustain our own citizens is a problem that many fail, or even refuse to recognize.

You are crazy if you want politicians to intervene and "fix" the broken economy. Listen, this country is not perfect, but we are enjoying the greatest economic prosperity in the history of earth. I think the problem is with people trying to spend beyond their means. We have an epidemic of greed and indulgence that equates happiness with possessions. We need a healthy dose of humility and gratitude, not the democrats in congress to implement some warped form of socialism. Come on people!

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