The latest Prairie Business popped out of our mailbox yesterday. Among other things, we learned that South Dakota has the nation's lowest compensation per job. In 2008, the per-job average here was $40,726. The next lowest state, Montana, posts $1462 more per job. The national average per job is $56,116.
South Dakota's average compensation per job is 73% of the national average. South Dakota's cost of living is 91% of the national average. Our median household income is 88% of the national average. Our per capita personal income is 94% of the national average, ranking us 25th in the country. Evidently we make up the difference by working more hours and more jobs.
That's South Dakota's great quality of life: you get crap wages, so you work more hours and get to brag about your great work ethic. Yay.
The news is even worse when you look at just salaries in SD. with the average salary of $33,000 a year, again a tie for last with Mississippi.
ReplyDeletehttp://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/107042/Americas-Best-and-Worst-Paying
Barry, I'd say that $33,000 would look really good right now for many Madison residents. Take a look at what jobs are available in Madison.
ReplyDeletehttps://apps.sd.gov/applications/LD10SDWORKS_SS/seeker/SS_Seeker_JO_Search_Results.aspx
Most jobs listed are less than $10/hour. If you are a nurse you can earn more.
My father claims that we have it too good and that we don't know what tough times are. My grandfather worked for a $1/day plus room and board when he was a young man. Starving to death was a real possibility for the pioneers over a 100 years ago. We have it pretty good in comparison.
I'd love to see higher wages, but it's not going to happen any time soon. All we can try to do is to be happy in our own situation.
Mike . If your Grandfather and Father had just been happy in their own situation,then the poverty that they knew would still be as prevalent today as it was then. There is no doubt that things are better now than they were then , but it didn't happen because of complacency.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to hear from you too Mike.