More jobs are being created in Minnesota, but wages remain stuck at levels that cannot support a family, according to an analysis of new statistics by the JOBS NOW Coalition.
The new Minnesota Job Vacancy Survey, released by the state Department of Employment and Economic Development, shows job openings in Minnesota are up 22 percent from a year ago. Currently, there are 10 unemployed workers for every six openings.
The median wage for all job openings remains stuck at $10 per hour; and 61 percent of all openings pay below $12 per hour. JOBS NOW's updated "Cost of Living" research shows that in a Minnesota family of four with both parents working, each worker must earn a statewide average wage of at least $12 per hour just to meet their basic needs.
Other statewide findings include:
? Of the 10 occupations in Minnesota with the most job openings, only two pay a median wage as high as $10 per hour.
? The two occupational groups with the most job openings are retail sales and food preparation and serving. These occupational groups make up one-fourth of all job openings and have a combined median wage of $6.62 per hour.
? Compared to five years ago, there are 57 percent fewer job openings in the state.
? Nearly two of every five openings are for part-time jobs; the median wage for these jobs is $8 per hour. This is almost a dollar below what the minimum wage would be ($8.98 per hour) if it had kept its buying power since 1968.
"As we move into the fifth year of a so-called economic recovery, more than three of every five job openings in Minnesota pay less than a family-supporting wage," said JOBS NOW Education Director Kevin Ristau. "Wage stagnation is still the elephant in Minnesota's living room."
The state conducts the Minnesota Job Vacancy Survey twice a year. The latest survey estimated 60,954 job vacancies in Minnesota during October to December 2005.
For more information
View the entire results of the survey at the DEED website, www.deed.state.mn.us
Learn more about Minnesota's wage gap at JOBS NOW's website, www.jobsnowcoalition.org
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More jobs are being created in Minnesota, but wages remain stuck at levels that cannot support a family, according to an analysis of new statistics by the JOBS NOW Coalition.
The new Minnesota Job Vacancy Survey, released by the state Department of Employment and Economic Development, shows job openings in Minnesota are up 22 percent from a year ago. Currently, there are 10 unemployed workers for every six openings.
The median wage for all job openings remains stuck at $10 per hour; and 61 percent of all openings pay below $12 per hour. JOBS NOW’s updated “Cost of Living” research shows that in a Minnesota family of four with both parents working, each worker must earn a statewide average wage of at least $12 per hour just to meet their basic needs.
Other statewide findings include:
? Of the 10 occupations in Minnesota with the most job openings, only two pay a median wage as high as $10 per hour.
? The two occupational groups with the most job openings are retail sales and food preparation and serving. These occupational groups make up one-fourth of all job openings and have a combined median wage of $6.62 per hour.
? Compared to five years ago, there are 57 percent fewer job openings in the state.
? Nearly two of every five openings are for part-time jobs; the median wage for these jobs is $8 per hour. This is almost a dollar below what the minimum wage would be ($8.98 per hour) if it had kept its buying power since 1968.
“As we move into the fifth year of a so-called economic recovery, more than three of every five job openings in Minnesota pay less than a family-supporting wage,” said JOBS NOW Education Director Kevin Ristau. “Wage stagnation is still the elephant in Minnesota’s living room.”
The state conducts the Minnesota Job Vacancy Survey twice a year. The latest survey estimated 60,954 job vacancies in Minnesota during October to December 2005.
For more information
View the entire results of the survey at the DEED website, www.deed.state.mn.us
Learn more about Minnesota’s wage gap at JOBS NOW’s website, www.jobsnowcoalition.org