Allen wages trail state, national averages

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A day after hearing that Allen County employees’ wages were not keeping pace with today’s cost of living, county officials learned that wages earned across the entire county lag behind both state and national averages.

“The reality is that our wages are below the state averages and we need to talk about it,” said John Stafford, executive director of the Community Research Institute at IPFW, during a presentation to Allen County commissioners.

The county wages have not always been lower than the country’s. In 1997, wages were slightly below national averages, but not significantly lower as they are today, Stafford said.

There was a marked difference after the recession hit in 2000. Since then, wages have steadily declined, he said.

“The average wage today in Allen County is $39,535,” Stafford said. That compares to $40,248 for Hoosier workers and $48,040 for the country.

For more on this story, see Saturday’s print edition of The Journal Gazette or visit www.journalgazette.net after 3 a.m. Saturday.

vsade@jg.net