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US Worker Wages: "Not Off The Lows"

Tyler Durden's picture




 

Earlier today, we presented what the Nielsen-ratings crater known as CNBC would call a "cautiously optimistic" view of the US future, showing that while the US economy has has its biggest ongoing slowdown since the Great Depression, it is now what the anchors at the abovementioned crater would call "off the lows."

That's great. Sadly, one other place where the same unbridled optimism can not be applied is when looking at real US wages.

The chart below shows the year over year change in real wages and the 5 year moving average. The most recent print was not unexpectedly negative.

However, where it gets even worse is when one normalizes for volatility by extending the comparison period to encompass more than just 4 quarters, and stretches the duration to a 2 year period over period change in real US wages. Looked at this way, the change in real US wages has never been worse...

... and sadly is not off the lows.

But aside from this minor fact, the US consumer has not been more confident in 5 years.

 

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Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:47 | 3611501 LawsofPhysics
LawsofPhysics's picture

When 100% of those meager wages go into necessities, TPTB better hope they have disarmed everybody.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:49 | 3611506 NewThor
NewThor's picture

Workers getting screwed?

I connect some strange dots here to Quantitative Easing, Asteroid QE2 (which passes tomorrow) and the Bank of America murals....maybe I am totally wrong but....

http://youtu.be/gWu-ATZU6KI

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:51 | 3611518 LawsofPhysics
LawsofPhysics's picture

Don't threadjack bub.  I probably should have made the following modification to my post and stated that credit would have to dry up too.  I mean, now that our home values are back up, these idiots are going to go support the banker's 9% raise by taking out equity lines of credit.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:57 | 3611541 NotApplicable
NotApplicable's picture

Are you seriously not aware that the first post is ALWAYS the thread-jack post?

If you want contextual replies, then avoid posting first.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:02 | 3611554 NewThor
NewThor's picture

You guys really think 1 dimensionally.

It's disappointing.

The video clearly lays out Bank of America's knowledge

in 1992 of the coming Quantitative easing,

the conquering of our workforce

and asks if the fucking Giant Asteroid QE2 

has a connection.

So 2 of the 3 subjects tied together has

a connection to this

post.

But hey.

Down arrow away,

bitchez.

 

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:11 | 3611579 LawsofPhysics
LawsofPhysics's picture

Clearly you gots the deluxe tin foil hat.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:03 | 3611559 LawsofPhysics
LawsofPhysics's picture

what's that?  sorry, was looking into the reverse mortgage rate on a property I haven't paid off yet... < sarc off >

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:00 | 3611547 NewThor
NewThor's picture

Threadjack?

We've got 1.7 mile Asteroid QE2 passing by tommorrow oh,

and just announced, it's got a fuckin' moon.

Tied to Quantitative Easing

and the Bank of America murals

which show WORKERS asleep and buried under a mountain.

So low wages ties right into Quantitative Easing

and the Bank of America murals

'calling their shot' at burying our work forces

under dirt.

Is the asteroid connected? only time will tell.

So, ain't no thread jacking wolverine.

 

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:39 | 3611642 StarTedStackin'
StarTedStackin&#039;'s picture

more of a thread JACKASS, than a thread jack, unless it was Halliburton's Space Gravity/Weather changing machine that drew the Asteroid closer into our Orbit....

 

 

WTF?

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:50 | 3611515 ihedgemyhedges
ihedgemyhedges's picture

What are these "wages" of which you speak? Thank you in advance.

Sincerely, The Top 1%ers

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:53 | 3611529 Rainman
Rainman's picture

hint : drug biz is really smokin' hot

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:57 | 3611540 LawsofPhysics
LawsofPhysics's picture

They are what you currently pay, or will be paying your security detail.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:56 | 3611530 RockyRacoon
RockyRacoon's picture

...the US consumer has not been more confident in 5 years.

That is a contrary indicator.  Consumer confidence is a byproduct of the market going up, not a precursor to the market going up.   Best outcome, according to one study, is that the market should now go down... substantially.  The "consumer" is always the last one to the party... after all the good stuff is gone.  They get all dressed up, put on their good face, and show up to find cigarette butts in the chip bowls... and the keg is all tapped out.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:56 | 3611534 Gringo Viejo
Gringo Viejo's picture

OFF TOPIC QUESTION FOR THE ZH COMMUNITY:

Do Silver Maples come from the Canadian mint in sealed packets much like those conataining American Gold Eagles?
Thx in advance for your response.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:02 | 3611549 RockyRacoon
RockyRacoon's picture

What size?  Business strike or proof?

1/20th ounce come in sheets, perforated to remove one at a time while still encapsulated in plastic.  Business strike 1 ounce come in tubes like American Silver Eagles.  The proofs come in goofy velvet-lined gift boxes.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:08 | 3611570 Gringo Viejo
Gringo Viejo's picture

Rocky...these are 1 oz. 1999s in the encapsulated plastic you mention. Your opinion?...real deal?

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:02 | 3611556 Rainman
Rainman's picture

www.google.com   hit search

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:03 | 3611557 Bay of Pigs
Bay of Pigs's picture

1-800-267-1871 (Canada)
1-800-268-6468 (US)
(613) 954-2626 (International)
Our hours are from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm EST, Monday to Friday.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:51 | 3611666 daxtonbrown
daxtonbrown's picture

Thank God Bernanke is smarter than us and figured out he could crush inflation by crushing wages. QE to Infinity and Beyond!

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:47 | 3611502 King_of_simpletons
King_of_simpletons's picture

Who gives a shit anymore ...... Media will make up some shit about how the wages have gone up the last five years and the stock market will keep going up. Banksters are getting a 9% raise.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:21 | 3611600 Pure Evil
Pure Evil's picture

Who more than banksters deserve a fat raise every year?

Your corrupt Congressional critters perhaps?

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:49 | 3611509 JP McManus
JP McManus's picture

This is double plus ungood... BULLISH!?!?

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:49 | 3611511 Cdad
Cdad's picture

So...I'm confused.  I'm an optimistically confused "consumer".  Should I be of the "Buy on the dip mentality" on that last chart?  And if so, buy with what?

Thanks in advance.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:02 | 3611553 NotApplicable
NotApplicable's picture

OPM

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:24 | 3611611 Pure Evil
Pure Evil's picture

Sell all your tender children to the 1%er's.

Then whore out all your female family members.

It's the least you could do for the global economy.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 18:09 | 3611729 ljag
ljag's picture

That is OPIUM...there...fixed it for you

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:50 | 3611514 Bubble
Bubble's picture

It places the shopping in the basket

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQb2m6VJ-eo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

It rubs the confidence on it's skin

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:54 | 3611678 Cornfedbloodstool
Cornfedbloodstool's picture

+1 ROFL

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 23:51 | 3612674 Colonel Klink
Colonel Klink's picture

Or else it gets Bernak's hose again!

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:50 | 3611516 Stoploss
Stoploss's picture

The trend is your friend??

 

WTF?

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:52 | 3611523 NeedleDickTheBu...
NeedleDickTheBugFucker's picture

The TBTB rationale for this disturbing chart - the bottom 90% don't need real wage growth as long as there is easy access to a boatload of cheap credit.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:52 | 3611527 pragmatic hobo
pragmatic hobo's picture

I think they only survey bankers and government workers.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:54 | 3611531 wonderatitall
wonderatitall's picture

gubmint "workers" now dat der is funny...i dont care who u b

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:55 | 3611532 bnbdnb
bnbdnb's picture

Who actually takes time out of their day or cell minutes to answer these stupid surveys? And if they don't call cells, who actually answers home phone calls? Oh yeah, thats right...old people that make up 90% of the rich.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:57 | 3611538 dcohen
dcohen's picture

Quite interesting, worth watching

"We'll Kill the Dollar!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F7bM63ZfWQ

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:03 | 3611558 bank guy in Brussels
bank guy in Brussels's picture

The 'Day the Dollar Die', prophetic 1979 reggae song by Peter Tosh, on his album Mystic Man:

« The day the dollar die, Things are gonna be better

The day the dollar die, No more corruption

The day the dollar die, People will respect each other

Finance ministers groaning, Unemployment is rising, And I hear my people crying ...

The day the dollar die, It's gonna be nice ...

The day this here dollar die, There be no more inflation

The day the dollar die ... We will love each other ... »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtwmjcsQi1E

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:34 | 3611636 dcohen
dcohen's picture

Prophetic guy  - perhaps, verdict yet to come in

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:57 | 3611539 venturen
venturen's picture

How about a chart of Bond trader bonuses? Or chart of wall street bonuses per trader or banker?

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:57 | 3611542 williambanzai7
williambanzai7's picture

These are the best of times for the entitled ones, either they are: Wall Street sucking you bone dry, Washington sucking you bone dry or Silicon Valley strip mining and monetizing your privacy.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:08 | 3611573 semperfi
semperfi's picture

"the entitled ones"

aka, criminals - who get to make, bend, and change the rules whenever it suits them

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 18:40 | 3611818 Oldwood
Oldwood's picture

When is it not the best of times for the entitled ones? Even the Csar got off easy compared to most after the 1917 Russian revolution.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 19:12 | 3611909 therearetoomany...
therearetoomanyidiots's picture

well, hey, at least we're not George Zimmerman...

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:00 | 3611546 Peter Pan
Peter Pan's picture

I want to see some real analysis.

I want to see wage movements over 10 years shown seperately for bankers, public servants, medical workers and hamburger flippers and manufacturing workers.

Oh, and by the way don't firget to include benefits.

Then we can talk about how badthings really are.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:04 | 3611563 NotApplicable
NotApplicable's picture

I thought you never wanted to grow up?

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:13 | 3611584 Peter Pan
Peter Pan's picture

I am not going to bother down voting you, but seriously are you for real?

For your info my pen name has nothing to do with the literary character.

Then again if you were stuck on $8,50 per hour you might understand the nature of my comment.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 18:30 | 3611783 Oldwood
Oldwood's picture

Wages are always going up for those who's skills are in great demand. If you can lie cheat and steal and never get caught, or better still get caught but never convicted, then you sir are a rich muthafucker. If you have coat tails that your criminal cohorts can ride along on, you will go far. But if you are competing with a Mexican for a job sweeping a floor, you are fucked forever more. Even in this corrupt, fucked up, upside down world we live in much of the basic laws of supply and demand still hold. The unfortunate part is how it demonstrates what the world puts value on.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:08 | 3611572 buzzsaw99
buzzsaw99's picture

if little people start getting raises the joo bankers will get pissed off

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 18:34 | 3611792 Oldwood
Oldwood's picture

The bankers could care less if we had $20/hr minimum wages, or even more. They are getting rich from the churn caused by all of this insanity. People running from one leaky life boat to the next, all the while the price keeps going up. Pyromaniacs striking matches. oh the power they have over us little people.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:11 | 3611578 Uncle Zuzu
Uncle Zuzu's picture

Buy American. Don't buy from foreign dictatorships that are stealing from us and militarizing against us.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:16 | 3611588 Peter Pan
Peter Pan's picture

It's hard not to buy from them when governments have allowed factories to be closed and jobs to be exported all in the pursuit of profit profit profit.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 18:37 | 3611806 Oldwood
Oldwood's picture

So would these factories have moved to foreign countries if we had refused to buy foreign made products? Would they have moved to foreign countries if those countries had labor laws and environmental laws that put ours to shame in the eyes of Al Gore? Would they have left us if our corporate taxes were amongst the lowest in the world? Just asking.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:19 | 3611593 yogibear
yogibear's picture

The banksters get their 9% raises. That's all that matters to Bernanke and the Fed. 

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 18:42 | 3611826 Oldwood
Oldwood's picture

Yes, but they got expenses. Have you seen how much the price of a new Ferrari or beach house has gone up in the last year. Show a little compassion.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:24 | 3611607 auntiesocial
auntiesocial's picture

OK Class- for "extra credit" let's figure out how much of a percentage an average Americans paycheck making $30,000.00 before taxes goes to paying his Obamacare. 

30 / 12 = $2,500.00 monthly

X = Obamacare annually

Y = % gross

Z = % net

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:24 | 3611609 Lmo Mutton
Lmo Mutton's picture

Boss says if I keep my nose clean and work real hard next year he will pay me $2 less than I am making now. WTFO?

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 18:43 | 3611831 Oldwood
Oldwood's picture

Lucky dog. Look at the taxes he is saving you. "winning"

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 19:10 | 3611905 therearetoomany...
therearetoomanyidiots's picture

Up arrow...you made me snarf sailor jerry and ginger

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:34 | 3611634 StarTedStackin'
StarTedStackin&#039;'s picture

The "Ladies" on "The View" just said everything was rosey, so it's no coincidence that well informed Americans are getting more hopeful and confident......afterall, it IS recovery Summer 4, isn't it?

 

 

Obama will probably need another term to fix the mess that he inherited......

 

 

Let the Good Times Roll!

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:44 | 3611652 XRAYD
XRAYD's picture

Wage Nazis!

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 17:54 | 3611680 wtf.gov
wtf.gov's picture

Well we know one thing's for sure, Maria's tits are off their highs.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 19:09 | 3611898 therearetoomany...
therearetoomanyidiots's picture

Umm, waita minute...just the other day in the article entitled, to paraphrase, 10 signs the economy is not as great as we think it is, one of the two signslisted as 'positives' was that wages were higher.

Now, someone, somewhere has some bad numbers.

Of course we all shat all over that other article as being a complete steaming pile, so maybe this one is right?

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 19:20 | 3611939 uncle reggie
uncle reggie's picture

Numbers, numbers. Today, numbers are spun to fit a narrative. Hard to trust any of it.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 20:50 | 3612218 thinkahappythou...
thinkahappythoughtandfly's picture

Raising the minimum wage is a happy thought. Fightfor15.org sign the petition.

Fri, 05/31/2013 - 07:33 | 3612246 El Hosel
El Hosel's picture

US workers off lows? WTF, workers are getting smoked by food, energy, and medical expenses.... All the Non-inflationary, transitory butt fukings of the Ponzi Fixes.

Thu, 05/30/2013 - 21:52 | 3612386 Yes_Questions
Yes_Questions's picture

 

 

OK?!?!

 

They need to stop polling heavy users of Anti-Depressants and Fluoridated water.

 

OK??!??!???

 

Fri, 05/31/2013 - 07:59 | 3612979 Aegelis
Aegelis's picture

See you fellow working-class folk at the next yard sale.  Use a damp paper towel to wipe it down and voila!  Even cheaper than Wal-Mart.  Independent capitalism for the win.

Fri, 05/31/2013 - 12:00 | 3613805 monad
monad's picture

RELEASE THE FELONS!

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