New study shows decline in R.I. mid-wage, high-wage jobs

ACCORDING TO A NEW STUDY, 25 percent of all new jobs created in the U.S. between 2010 and 2013 fell in the mid-wage range, defined as jobs that pay between $13.84 and $21.13 per hour. Rhode Island reported a loss of 46 mid-wage jobs since 2010, making it the only state to post negative mid-wage job growth. / COURTESY CAREER BUILDER AND ECONOMIC MODELING SPECIALISTS INTERNATIONAL
ACCORDING TO A NEW STUDY, 25 percent of all new jobs created in the U.S. between 2010 and 2013 fell in the mid-wage range, defined as jobs that pay between $13.84 and $21.13 per hour. Rhode Island reported a loss of 46 mid-wage jobs since 2010, making it the only state to post negative mid-wage job growth. / COURTESY CAREER BUILDER AND ECONOMIC MODELING SPECIALISTS INTERNATIONAL

PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island was the only U.S. state to report a decline in middle-wage jobs between 2010 and 2013, according to a new study by CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists International released Thursday.

The study – which evaluated the number of new mid-wage jobs in each state as a share of total new jobs created – builds on Federal Reserve research showing that the share of middle-wage jobs in the U.S. workforce has dropped from 25 percent in 1985 to just above 15 percent today.

“Middle-wage positions sustained heavier hits during the recession than other wage groups,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder, in a statement accompanying the report. “This is further indication of a hollowing effect economists have warned about, where middle-wage jobs are thinning out – creating a greater concentration of either high-wage or low-wage positions.”

For the purpose of this study, CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists defined middle-wage jobs as those that pay between $13.84 and $21.13 per hour.

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Nationally, a quarter of all new jobs since 2010 fall in the mid-wage range, a slightly smaller share than new high-wage jobs (29 percent) and nearly half the share of new low-wage jobs (46 percent).

Rhode Island reported a loss of 46 mid-wage jobs since 2010, making it the only state to post negative mid-wage job growth.

“Coincidentally, [Rhode Island has] also seen a decline in high-wage jobs, meaning all of its job growth has been in occupations that pay $13.83 or lower,” the CareerBuilding report stated.

Massachusetts has created 33,836 new mid-wage jobs since 2010, or 24 percent of all new jobs created.

Despite the nationwide trend of fewer new middle-wage jobs, certain sectors in manufacturing, healthcare, energy and other industries show steady growth in the employment of middle-wage workers, the report concluded.

To read the full report, visit www.economicmodeling.com.

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  1. Just more evidence that I need to get my Passport stamped for that one-way trip to The Great Beyond A.S.A.P….(!!)I DO NOT WANT to BE AROUND to see what happens next!!!…..C’MON NORMAN, I’M READY ANYTIME YOU ARE…..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAfYCuOtgQg