Pay raises have been paltry since 2001. Since 2001, wage growth has been muted because productivity has been so strong.
Those are two areas of the economy that should be perking up right now if we were in a recovery mode, ... Normally, businesses hire temp workers and work their employees longer -- this drop is of real concern and raises the specter of a double-dip recession.
Even if raises and bonuses are below what they were four or five years ago...rewarding employees who have brought the company through tough times is accepted by more and more companies,