State of Working Maryland in Decline

Recently the US Census Bureau announced Maryland has the highest median income in the US. But this may come as a surprise to hundreds of thousands of Maryland workers whose wages have remained stagnant, according to a recently released report by Progressive Maryland. The report – “State of Working Maryland 2007” – shows that median wages have remained stagnant at 2001 levels for all Maryland workers, regardless of education or earning history. “These wages don’t purchase an adequate standard of living,” says the report. The report goes on to say that Maryland minimum wage workers “still earn well below the US poverty line for families” and middle-income workers “fail to achieve a middle-class lifestyle in most parts of the state” when factoring for Maryland’s increasing cost of living. In fact, the Maryland poverty rate and number of uninsured has increased from 2001-2006, according to the report. One of the reasons for the decline in these trends? A decrease in union membership. “Despite strong organizing efforts” Maryland’s unionization rate has continued to decline, says Progressive Maryland. This “declining unionization rate helps explain why these troubling trends could not be ameliorated, let alone reversed,” the report concludes. The report also concludes that the recent passages of a minimum wage increase and living wage for state contracted workers may have a positive impact on some of these declining trends. For the full report, click here.