More Jobs, Low Pay:Florida leads job growth, but low-wage jobs dominate [View All]

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http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/business/e16flajobs.htm

More Jobs, Low Pay
Florida leads U.S. job growth, but low-wage jobs dominate

By Mike Schneider
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ORLANDO, Fla. — When it comes to creating new jobs, Florida is leading the nation. But many workers are having trouble paying their bills — many of these new jobs, even in Florida's huge tourism industry, just don't pay well. <snip>

Two-fifths of the private-sector jobs Florida gained during the past year were in fields where the average annual pay was under $24,297, according to a review by The Associated Press. The 39,000 new jobs in those sectors are paid less than 75 percent of Florida's average annual pay of $32,397.

The rest of the newly created private-sector jobs in Florida were split between sectors considered middle-of-the-road on the pay scale and higher-paying jobs. Under a third of the jobs (30,800 positions) fell into sectors that paid between $24,297 and $40,496, and more than a quarter of the jobs (27,800 positions) fell into sectors that had an average annual pay higher than $40,496, or 125 percent of the state's average annual pay, according to the review. <snip>

But the job growth didn't keep pace with Florida's huge population growth of about 1,000 people a day. And the increase in jobs has done nothing to change Florida's disproportionate reliance on low-wage jobs, some economists say. <snip>