Experts Say Wages in Technology and Other Fields Are Stuck

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According to the highly respected analyst, Jared Bernstein of the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C. think tank, the economy may be showing signs of growing, but wages are not.

“ Wages have grown consecutively slower year over year, month by month, and now are falling behind inflation for many workers,” is how Bernstein expressed it in a recent television interview.

The Exceptions to the Rule: Technology and Health Care

In spite of the gloomy reports from the economic gurus, there are job areas that are growing, both in number and in level of compensation. The government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says its figures show a number of growth areas. The largest advancement will be in the technology sector. General health care and care of the elderly comes in a close second. The rest of the field is divided among jobs in education, fitness and animal health care,

One-third of the 30 jobs projected to grow the fastest this decade are in technology. Half are in human health care. The rest are in education, fitness, and animal health care, according to the BLS.

Learning To Move Ahead in Technology and Beyond

Studies have shown that the workers who do break out of the wage stagnation trap are those who take courses or enter degree programs to learn technology skills – among other valuable subjects – are in demand. A number of workers have simply changed careers and gone into fields such as, technology, education, or health care.

Others have found that adding skills such as computer proficiency, project leadership, and business management abilities, which employers find essential, has made it possible to request and receive wage increases while staying in their current occupations. One tip on which the experts agree: As workers gain new skills and new experience, they should make sure to keep their resumes updated and ready.