Here's a Chart..........

[Crazy Horse]

DUmmies discussing economics............always fun. Goto the link for the chart

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2703757

sinkingfeeling  (1000+ posts)       Thu Jan-17-08 10:38 AM
Original message
Here's a chart that shows common goods increasing prices and our wages... 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday that the price of food and beverages rose 4.8 percent. At the same time, real weekly earnings failed to keep pace, rising 0.9 percent for the year. In the simplest of terms, a dollar earned bought less.

The price of eggs rose 29.2 percent in 2007, while the price of fresh whole milk was up 13.1 percent. Since July, when milk prices first soared, the price of fresh whole milk has risen by almost 23 percent.

But consumers perhaps most felt the energy-price squeeze. Gasoline prices rose 8.2 percent on average last year, the slowest rate of growth since 2002. But pump prices began climbing anew in October and for the last quarter of 2007 average prices rose by just more than 30 percent.
The inflation news would be worse if not for China. Prices for the types of consumer goods that are coming almost exclusively from China were down last year as in earlier years, serving to hold back broader U.S. consumer inflation.

Apparel prices fell 0.4 percent in 2007, footwear prices fell 0.9 percent and the price of furniture and bedding - China- and Brazil-dominated products that once were the domain of the Carolinas - fell by 0.9 percent.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/011708M.shtml

 

ixion  (1000+ posts)       Thu Jan-17-08 10:46 AM
Response to Original message
1. what I can charge on the market has gone down...as a technology professional
 I've seen my hourly rate decrease over the years, rather than increase (while my skill set has increased). I blame this on out-sourcing and importing cheap labor from India and China.

Wages have been going down, from my perspective, not up.

 

havocmom  (1000+ posts)       Thu Jan-17-08 10:50 AM
Response to Reply #1
5. Does that 0.9% wage increase number include ALL earned income? 
 If it does, it may include the rise in 'wages' for the top corporate officers too. Last figures I saw DID INCLUDE the top levels of corporate bosses, even CEOs who drove their companies into the ditch.

Think about that.

What are the REAL workers actually dealing with as far as income if the CEOs' earnings are considered in determining the overall wage 'increase'?

No prices ever increased before *

tridim  (1000+ posts)       Thu Jan-17-08 10:49 AM
Response to Original message
3. And that's just 2007.. Same thing has been happening year after year since 2000.
 But not to worry, Bush says the economy ROCKS!

napi21  (1000+ posts)       Thu Jan-17-08 10:51 AM
Response to Original message
6. That's why most people feel we are already in a recession.
 All the things we must buy all the time have increased in price dramatically! There are things that I used to buy as a special treat for us, like a steak once every 5 or 6 months, that I don't buy anymore. I've resorted to making a lot of things from scratch that I never did before, like perogies using won ton wrappers, and hamburger and hot dog buns because I have a bread machine and they're cheaper and really taste much better than the peroggies at $2+ a box and buns at $2+ a package!

I'm retired so I don't buy much clothing or footware, and I'll probably croak before buying any new furniture. I've seen quite a few sale items that interested me, but opted not to go to the store because it just wasn't worth the gas to get there and back!

Oh for FFS
 

tridim  (1000+ posts)       Thu Jan-17-08 10:55 AM
Response to Reply #6
7. Wonton wrappers are great, I used to pay $1.59/pack a few years ago.
 Edited on Thu Jan-17-08 10:56 AM by tridim
Now they're up to $2.99. Nothing is immune from Bush-flation.
Potstickers using chicken thighs are very frugal. I make them often

Many people have realized this.....many

napi21  (1000+ posts)       Thu Jan-17-08 11:01 AM
Response to Reply #7
8. Yea I know they've gone up too, but it's still a lot cheaper to make
 perogies, raviolis, and a lot of other things with them rather than buying the frozen ones. I also make individual lasagna's with them that are terrific!

 

So everything was hunky dory until * stole the election in 2000

[PatriotGame]

sinkingfeeling  (1000+ posts)       Thu Jan-17-08 10:38 AM
Original message
Here's a chart that shows common goods increasing prices and our wages... 

I like my chart better: 

[Chris_]

ixion  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Journal  Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Thu Jan-17-08 03:46 PM
Response to Original message
1. what I can charge on the market has gone down...as a technology professional
   
I've seen my hourly rate decrease over the years, rather than increase (while my skill set has increased). I blame this on out-sourcing and importing cheap labor from India and China.

Wages have been going down, from my perspective, not up.

Hey, here's an idea -- GET SOME SKILLS THAT THE MARKETPLACE NEEDS! I can get a room full of Chinese programmers that do good work for the price of one USA one.  The "skill" lies in TELLING THEM WHAT TO DO.  Development is no longer a skill, it is a trade.

Anyone who thinks development is anything other than a dead-end career path isn't paying attention.