Wage growth is breaking out in an unexpected corner of the U.S. economy: the nation’s restaurants and bars.
Food-service employment has surged since the recession ended nearly six years ago, growing twice as fast as overall payrolls. But those gains had largely failed to translate into better wages in the sector, until recently. Restaurant wages zoomed up to an annualized pace of more than 3% in the secon...
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February 28, 2015 5:39 AM
" Euclid Hospitality Group in St. Louis, operator of Pi Pizzerias, raised wages last year for kitchen staff and other employees who don’t earn tips in order to slow turnover and attract better candidates. "so they're now targeting white college grads instead of blacks from the hood. how boring.
February 28, 2015 5:38 AM
These are definite gains for the economy but not really as impressive as you imply. It shows me that Obama doesn't understand the markets at all, because the free market wages are actually rising above that of the new required minimum wage, so why did we increase the minimum wage? The oil boom is helping, as well, which has nothing to do with Obama, nothing, in fact it happened in spite of Obama's actions.
February 28, 2015 5:37 AM
"Wages Rise at Restaurants as Labor Market Tightens"That's good to see.
February 28, 2015 5:36 AM
Another 5 bucks an hour raise and my new career destination is wait staff at Cracker Barrel! 'Merica!
February 28, 2015 5:34 AM
Remember when some, mostly on the left of the political spectrum, said that reducing the number of weeks of unemployment benefits would not result in more people getting jobs?
February 28, 2015 5:34 AM
If you want to look upstream to the farm, migrant farm workers are going to have to find lawns to mow. Because they won't be needed on farm or in the fast food industry.And if you think fast food will be the only service hit, you're wrong.
February 28, 2015 5:34 AM
Wages are rising for jobs that cannot he outsourced or automated for less, period!
February 28, 2015 5:34 AM
Wait until twelve million uneducated Mexicans show up looking for work flipping burgers and bussing tables. The population traditionally at the bottom of the employment chain will be right back at the bottom, looking up at the online jobs boards that state, "must be bi-lingual English Spanish". A very easy way for the employers to enjoy another glut of potential employees and depress wages once again.
February 28, 2015 5:34 AM
The mediocrity continues. By the way, the service isn't any better.
February 28, 2015 5:34 AM
Thanks lower oil prices. We need it.
February 28, 2015 5:33 AM
Demand for food service and food service workers is driven by young people not getting married and thus eating out more. The pipeline is then filled with low-skilled, illegal immigrant workers, and thus competition for workers increases, thus driving up salaries. This does not necessarily relate to a healthy economy but rather micro trends within the economy.
February 28, 2015 5:33 AM
Well so now we'll see if increased wages at the lower levels increase real GNP as Obama's people say or if they force wages at all levels to go up and kick off inflation. I'm betting on some of the former and a lot of the later.