Why service sector jobs are better than manufacturing jobs

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: jobs
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 09:14:46 -0500
From: Donald Boudreaux <dboudrea () gmu edu>

................

31 March 2004

Editor, The Wall Street Journal
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY  10281

Dear Editor:

In his letter of March 31st, William Hawkins merely assumes that
manufacturing jobs are better than service-sector jobs.  He's mistaken.

The average hourly wage in the U.S. for non-supervisory professional and
business services workers now is 9.6% higher than is the average hourly
wage for non-supervisory manufacturing workers.  And this difference is
increasing.  In 1980 this difference was less than one percent; in 1990
it was 3.3%; in 2000 it was 8.3%.  The bulk of high-paying jobs is in
the service sector.

It's time that people abandon the irrational fetish for manufacturing.

Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
703-993-1157 (office)
703-993-1133 (fax)
703-426-9299 (home)
571-426-5751 (cell)
dboudrea () gmu edu


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