The monthly Real Earnings Report from the BLS came out today, which gave everyone an excuse to note that hourly wages for production and nonsupervisory workers are down compared to a year ago. They’re also down compared to January 2017. Sad.
POSTSCRIPT: It’s legit to note that wages for ordinary folks have turned down since Republicans passed their tax cut, which was sold not as a windfall for corporations and the rich, but as snake-oil that would supercharge the ordinary family’s paycheck. That was a flat-out lie. At the same time, we should keep our eyes on the ball: the real disgrace here is that the wages of blue-collar workers have been stagnant for decades. Over the past 40 years, under both Democrats and Republicans, blue-collar earnings have gone up just a bit more than half a percent per year while the incomes of the rich have skyrocketed. That needs to stop.
