New US Jobs Pay Less Than Those Lost

Yes, the economy's been adding jobs—but they don't match the pay of jobs that disappeared starting in 2008, a study by a liberal activist group finds. Some 60% of jobs lost between 2008 and 2010 were in the middle third of wages; these included jobs like manufacturing, construction, and information, earning between $13.84 and $21.13 and hour. But as the economy has added jobs, about 60% of them have been lower-wage positions like retail and food prep, the New York Times reports.

By contrast, only 21% of job losses were lower-wage positions, and midwage occupations have accounted for just 22% of recent gains, according to Labor Department statistics. More than 300,000 positions have been added to retail and food preparation since June 2009, making them the fastest-growing fields; top-paid jobs like engineering and surgery have also been growing relatively quickly. (More job market stories.)