Jared Bernstein Wages Quotations

We are in the midst of a protracted wage slump, ... a troubling trend that is largely going unnoticed by policymakers.

With stagnant hourly wages, the only way for working families to get ahead is by working more hours, ... certainly not the path to improving living standards that we'd expect in an economy posting strong productivity gains.

When unemployment is that low, wages are growing broadly, and family incomes are rising. Wage-based demand growth keeps the economy growing at potential.

Of course there are jobs that few Americans will take because the wages and working conditions have been so degraded by employers. But there is nothing about landscaping, food processing, meat cutting or construction that would preclude someone from doing these jobs on the basis of their nativity. Nothing would keep anyone, immigrant or native born, from doing them if they paid better, if they had health care.

He talks about lending a helping hand to the poor and disadvantaged. But these policies push the other way, toward lower wages and less racial inclusion.

The problem isn't simply that families are facing higher prices, particularly at the pump. It's also that they're facing lower wages. If wages were keeping pace with inflation, the pinch wouldn't be as hard.

In the absence of immigrant labor, wages might be a bit higher, particularly in sectors that hire lots of low-skilled labor, which could potentially show up as slightly higher prices.