Wages up by smallest amount in nine years

[NoAmericanTaliban]

WASHINGTON - Wages and benefits paid to civilian workers rose last year by the smallest amount in nine years, the government reported Tuesday.

The Labor Department said that employee compensation was up 3.1 percent in 2005, an increase that was slower than the 3.7 percent rise in 2004. The slowdown reflected a big drop in benefit costs — items such as health insurance and pensions — which rose by 4.5 percent last year after jumping by 6.9 percent in 2004...

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11111349/


Welcome to Bush World - where we make you work harder & longer for less pay. Certainly saw this coming once * was selected.

[TheAngryIndependent]

1. But...

If a vote was held today, Americans would still vote republican.

Gay marriage, taxes, abortion, fearmongering, warmongering, moral decency (as if eating isn't immoral)....etc, etc

These are the issues for most white Southern and Midwestern Americans.

They vote against their own well being and their own economic and physical security interests every time.

They did in 2000, 2002, 2004, and they will do so again in 2006 and 2008.

And it also helps if you are a political party that controls large chunks of the media. This allows them to, for the most part, control American public opinion... or at least stop it from hemorraging.

I have no sympathy for any bible belt or Midwest people struggling after the choices that they made.

Despite all the delusion about the country being in great shape, the country will continue to unravel under the same delusions...at the hands of its own people.

[demosincebirth]

2. As Wal Mart prospers

wages go down.

[SoCalDem]

3. My husband has been extraordinarily lucky, but he has a great boss

My husband was chatting with his boss about how expensive gas is, and the boss raised his gas allowance from 300 to 400 a month.. Thi sis the same boss who invited us both on the all-expenses paid trip to tahiti in '03 (9 days..meals & side trips included..and he paid for our expedited passports and gave us $500 cash since it was short notice).. He also gave my husband a $6K bonus, and raises his salary regularly, with no notice..we just notice that the paycheck got bigger..

BUT he is an unusual boss..

Most people get jerked around, just because the boss CAN