WASHINGTON — Wages are among our most scrutinized economic indicators. It’s no secret why. We’d all like a pay raise. But there’s a second, less-recognized reason. Wages are considered a precursor to higher inflation. If they rise sharply, prices will follow. That’s the theory. It’s wrong — or at least dangerously incomplete. This matters now. […]
inflation
Posted inOp-Eds
Robert Samuelson: Theories in abundance about low wage increases
WASHINGTON — The great wage mystery deepens. In economic recoveries, there usually comes a time when strong job gains lead to strong wage gains. Businesses must pay more to recruit and retain the workers they need. Not this time — or at least not yet. The unemployment rate has dropped from a peak of 10 […]
advertisement
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine parents raising children as costs rise but incomes don’t
PORTLAND — The cost of raising children is growing faster than parents’ abilities to pay it, a trend that’s placing more Maine youths in poverty and potentially leaving the next generation at a disadvantage as it inherits the state. “It just gets more expensive,” said Sarah Krajewski, a mother of three who lives in Bath. […]