As unemployment rates hover near record lows, good news for workers emerges. According to data from QPS Employment Group, a Brookfield-based staffing firm, average pay rates are on the rise. The past two years have seen a shift where employers need to pay more to remain competitive. In comparison to January 2016, the current average pay rate has risen by 9.9 percent.
The pay rate data was compiled from over 1,800 employers across the Midwest, specifically in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. Employees working in manufacturing and service industries have access to see what other companies pay, and can apply for those positions. If companies are not offering a competitive wage, in addition to an employee-friendly environment, workers will find what they are looking for elsewhere.
January's unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent nationwide, which matches a 17-year low, and a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics cited a gain of jobs in construction, food services and drinking places, healthcare and manufacturing. According to the Department of Labor, manufacturing, mining and logging outperformed other industries and created more jobs.
The pay rate data was compiled from over 1,800 employers across the Midwest, specifically in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. Employees working in manufacturing and service industries have access to see what other companies pay, and can apply for those positions. If companies are not offering a competitive wage, in addition to an employee-friendly environment, workers will find what they are looking for elsewhere.
January's unemployment rate remained at 4.1 percent nationwide, which matches a 17-year low, and a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics cited a gain of jobs in construction, food services and drinking places, healthcare and manufacturing. According to the Department of Labor, manufacturing, mining and logging outperformed other industries and created more jobs.
