Low Paying Jobs are Most Common

Middle class jobs are disappearing and more low paying jobs are being created.  All but nursing are below the national average of $45,790.

Employment & wages for largest U.S. occupations

Occupation	U.S. employment	2012 annual mean wage
Retail salesperson	4,340,000	$25,310
Cashier	3,314,010	$20,370
Food prep worker	2,943,810	$18,720
Office clerk	2,808,100	$29,270
Registered nurse	2,633,980	$67,930
Waiter	2,332,020	$20,710
Customer service representative	2,299,750	$33,110
Laborer	2,143,940	$26,410
Janitor/cleaner	2,097,380	$24,850
Secretary/administrative assistant	2,085,680	$33,560

Update (July 19):  McDonald's caught some flak for putting out a sample budget for their employees. Also, Walmart employees share their stories.

Update (July 21):  More about those low, low wages at McDonald's and Walmart.

Update (July 24):  This might be more realistic advice for employees.

Update (July 28):  Steven Greenhouse reports on efforts to raise wages.

Update (August 3):  Jobs are being created, but a disproportionate number are part-time or/and low paying.

Update (August 8):  Sean McElwee points out that many moral choices involve tradeoffs for the kinds of society we want to live in.

[E]ven if were some businesses to fail, unemployment rose and prices increased, a higher minimum wage could still be an acceptable policy.  We must ask ourselves whether we want to live in a society when the poorest working people cannot afford to purchase basic necessities. Or, put differently, should a business that cannot afford to pay its workers enough to survive be allowed to exist, grow, and prosper?

Update (September 1):  Shawn Gude writes about how the living wage bill in Washington, DC highlights the conflict between capitalism and democracy.

Update (September 12):  The mayor of Washington, DC vetoed the living wage bill.

Update (September 17):  The Washington, DC city council failed to override the veto.

Update (November 19):  A proposal for paying Walmart employees a living wage.

Update (December 30, 2014):  The U.S. leads the world for the largest share of low-paying jobs.