Lost Manufacturing Spins Downward in DeKalb
Posted by admin on 08/04/2010
A guest post by AAM intern Whitney Stack:
Like many manufacturing centers in the U.S., DeKalb County, Indiana, has suffered lower overall wage rates because of slashed manufacturing employment. “DeKalb County lost 40 percent of its manufacturing jobs in a recent 10-year span,” from 1998 to 2008, the News Sun<
Like many manufacturing centers in the U.S., DeKalb County, Indiana, has suffered lower overall wage rates because of slashed manufacturing employment.
“DeKalb County lost 40 percent of its manufacturing jobs in a recent 10-year span,” from 1998 to 2008, the News Sun reported, based on new U.S. Census Bureau figures.
With of the loss of so many good-paying manufacturing jobs, the overall income in the county declined over the decade.
“Average earnings were $30,580 per employee in 1998. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator, that would have been equal to $40,392 in 2008, which means the average employee lost 8.7 percent in buying power over the 10-year period.”In addition, the average earnings declined by 1.4 percent between 2007 and 2008. When people have less money to spend, their resulting lower expenditures create fewer jobs. As fewer and fewer people are employed, less money is spent. And DeKalb County’s economy has entered into in a downward spiral. While DeKalb’s retail trade held steadier employment over the decade, as the county’s second largest source of jobs, it’s not sustainable without manufacturing to support it.
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The Dekalb County United
The Dekalb County United Way's recent "Day of Caring" highlighted a great need due to loss of jobs and income. YMCA (my current employer)membership is down, with the Garrett Community Center "Y" closing its daycare facility and reducing hours of operation to only 6 hours per day, closed Sat. and Sun.
With the "Debt Commission" and an election year push from congressional Republicans, Social Security and Medicare are under attack as well. Please support American Manufacturing and tell your elected officials, to allow retired citizens their well deserved, and PAID FOR, BENEFITS. That is the only way to economic recovery.