Clintonoids Serve Up Mud Pie Analysis

[Tom Lehman]

Doug--The union drive to raise in the minium wage has really helped improve all
stats and raise all boats.  Its forced employers at the bottom of the wage scale
to raise wages and has created demand that otherwise wouldn't have been.

Tom

Doug Henwood wrote:


> Andrew  English wrote:
>
> >I think the issue is more the composition of the workforce rather than
> >the level of unemployment.  Without trade liberalization of the last few
> >years, more of the working class
> >would still be higher-wage, more unionized manufacturing sectors and less of
> >it in the low-wage, mostly non-union
> >private service sectors (retail, etc).
>
> But the average real hourly wage has risen - and not just the
> average, but across the entire distribution, for both men & women.
> This looks like a reversal of the 1973-95 slide, and reflects changes
> in composition. The black unemployment rate is at a record low; ditto
> the black poverty rate. I think the case that NAFTA damaged the U.S.
> working class isn't as easy to make as people seem to think.
>
> Doug