In almost every state, the industries adding jobs pay less than the industries cutting jobs, according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute.
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a wage gap of 25 percent or more between shrinking and expanding industries;
in 16 states, that gap was 33 percent or more.
"As trends go, this is not the direction anyone would want to see our
economy going," says Jeffrey Chapman, one of the analysts who examined
data from the Department of Labor. "Jobs are shifting from high-paying
industries to industries that pay less--and often far less."
The analysis also identifies a number of states where this shift toward lower
wages in new jobs combines with declines in the number of jobs. These states,
which still have fewer jobs than at the end of the recession, include:
- New Hampshire, where growth industries pay 35 percent less than shrinking
industries;
- Delaware, with a wage gap of 43 percent;
- Colorado, with jobs down 2 percent since the end of the recession and the
wage gap at 35 percent;
- West Virginia, with 1.7 percent fewer jobs and a 33 percent wage gap.
Other studies have predicted a wage gap between the jobs gained and those lost.
In 2003, the Conference of Mayors released a report predicting the U.S. economy
will recoup the more than 2.3 million jobs lost between 2001 and 2003, but the
added jobs will have lower wages than the jobs lost during the economic downturn.