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<TD align=left><A href="http://www.spokesmanreview.com/"><IMG height=20
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<TD align=right><FONT face="tahoma, sans-serif" size=2>Wednesday,
February 7, 2007</FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR><!--include virtual="/inc/story_guts_print.asp"-->
<H2>For many, the existing wage isn't a living one </H2>
<H4 class=deck>Study shows large job gap in Northwest</H4></DIV>
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<P class=byline><SPAN class=name><A
href="http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news/bylines.asp?bylinename=Paula%20Davenport">Paula
Davenport </A></SPAN><BR>Staff writer<BR>February 7, 2007</P><!---------Code for Big Ads-------------------><!---------End Code for Big Ads------------------->
<P>A husband and father of three, David Meyersberg makes $9 an hour working
full-time at a Spokane call center. His wife had been working two jobs until
recently, when she opened her own cleaning service.</P>
<P>Despite all the hours they spend on the job, they're hard-pressed to make
ends meet, said Meyersberg, 56, who holds a bachelor's degree in business
administration and an associate's degree from a culinary school.</P>
<P>Meyersberg is not alone. A report released Tuesday shows tens of thousands of
people in Washington and Idaho stretched just as thin because they don't earn a
living wage.</P>
<P>
<TABLE align=left>
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<TR>
<TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The report, "Searching for Work that Pays: 2007
Northwest Job Gap Study," shows only 23 percent of job openings in Washington
pay enough to support a family of three, composed of one adult and two children.
And for each of those openings, there are nine applicants.</P>
<P>In Idaho, it's even worse. Only 13 percent of jobs available there pay enough
to support that same family of three. Competition's tougher, too. For each
opening, 14 people are standing in line.</P>
<P>The information comes from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics and the
Employment and Training Administration. The March 2005 Current Population
Survey, completed by two federal agencies, was used to calculate the number of
job seekers.</P>
<P>Joshua Welter, director of Washington Community Action Network, helped author
the 2007 study. Its release Tuesday coincided with a hearing in Olympia on
whether Washington should require companies awarded state contracts to pay
living wages.</P>
<P>A living wage, the study says, covers such basic needs as food, housing,
utilities, transportation, health care, child care, clothing, some personal
items, some savings and taxes – without public assistance. People who earn
living wages are also able to handle emergencies and plan ahead.</P>
<P>"The bottom line here is that an individual looking for work that makes ends
meet for their family can't find jobs in the current economy that do pay a
living wage. Our state needs to ensure that all jobs pay a living wage, that a
family working full-time should not be living in poverty," said Welter from his
Seattle office.</P>
<P>When money's scarce, people are forced to make harsh choices, said
Welter.</P>
<P>"With so many people unable to find living wage work, you find more and more
people making tough tradeoffs. 'Do I pay for healthcare or pay the heating bill?
'Do I pay for childcare or put gas in the car?'" Welter asked.</P>
<P>"Results of the report are clear," he added. "For job seekers looking for a
living wage, the market is limited, particularly for families."</P>
<P>Experts say the problem calls for action in at least two areas: Cultivating a
pool of people skilled and ready to work and creating more high-quality jobs.
One Spokane executive search firm, Personnel Unlimited Inc., sends many of its
candidates outside the immediate region to find work, said Brandi McHenry, the
office manager.</P>
<P>"Spokane isn't the greatest market, that's why 90 percent of our business is
outside the area," McHenry said. "It's not that people (in Spokane) don't have
the skills, it's just that people can't make it on $8 or $9 an hour."</P>
<P>Jeff Zahir, regional labor economist for the state Employment Security
Department, said the study raises questions about both "corporate greed" and the
"skills gap" between the working poor and those who are getting by.</P>
<P>"I don't think the study places the onus on anyone," he said, "but it sure
challenges us to think about the answer to those questions."</P>
<P> </P>
<P> </P>
<H5>On the Web </H5>
<P>"Searching for Work that Pays: 2007 Northwest Job Gap Study" looks at the job
situation in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana. View it online at: <EM><A
href="http://www.nwfco.org/pubs/2007.0206_NW.Job.Gap.Searching.For.Work.pdf">http://www.nwfco.org/pubs/2007.0206_NW.Job.Gap.Searching.For.Work.pdf</A>
</EM></P>
<P><B><FONT face=Helvetica-Condensed-Bold size=3> </P>
<P align=left></P>
<P align=left></P>
<P align=left>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=7 width=660 border=1>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=center width="22%" height=32 rowSpan=5><B><FONT color=#221e1f
size=5>
<P align=left>NORTHWEST JOB GAP RATIO </B></FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=top width="41%" colSpan=2 height=32><B><FONT color=#221e1f
size=3>
<P align=center>Total Job Seekers </B></FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=top width="37%" colSpan=4 height=32><B><FONT color=#221e1f
size=3>
<P align=left>Total Job Openings </B></FONT></P></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=center width="41%" colSpan=2 height=30><B><FONT color=#221e1f
size=3>
<P align=left>563,300 </B></FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="37%" colSpan=4 height=30><B><FONT color=#221e1f
size=3>
<P align=center>242,801 </B></FONT></P></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=center width="42%" colSpan=3 height=57><B><FONT color=#221e1f
size=1>
<P align=left>Single Adult </B></FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=bottom width="11%" height=57><B><FONT color=#221e1f size=1>
<P align=center>Single Adult with 1 Child </B></FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="12%" height=57><B><FONT color=#221e1f size=1>
<P align=left>Single Adult with 2 Children </B></FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=bottom width="13%" height=57><B><FONT color=#221e1f size=1>
<P align=left>2 Adults, 1 Working with 2 Children </B></FONT></P></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=center width="30%" height=31><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=left>Living Wage Job Openings </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="12%" colSpan=2 height=31><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=center>159,176 </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="11%" height=31><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=left>84,984 </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="12%" height=31><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=left>48,150 </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="13%" height=31><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=left>57,130 </FONT></P></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=bottom width="30%" height=109><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=left>Job seekers per living wage job opening Percent of all job
openings that that pay less than a living wage </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="12%" colSpan=2 height=109><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=center>4:1 34% </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="11%" height=109><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=left>7:1 65% </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="12%" height=109><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=left>12:1 80% </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="13%" height=109><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=left>10:1 76% </FONT></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P>
<P align=left></P>
<P align=left>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=7 width=645 border=1>
<TBODY>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=center width="18%" height=38 rowSpan=5><B><FONT color=#221e1f
size=6>
<P align=left>IDAHO JOB GAP </B></FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=top width="43%" colSpan=2 height=38><B><FONT color=#221e1f
size=3>
<P align=center>Total Job Seekers </B></FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=top width="39%" colSpan=4 height=38><B><FONT color=#221e1f
size=3>
<P align=center>Total Job Openings, including jobs that do not pay a
living wage </B></FONT></P></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=center width="43%" colSpan=2 height=30><B><FONT color=#221e1f
size=3>
<P align=left>52,300 </B></FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="39%" colSpan=4 height=30><B><FONT color=#221e1f
size=3>
<P align=center>27,801 </B></FONT></P></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=center width="44%" colSpan=3 height=58><B><FONT color=#221e1f
size=1>
<P align=left>Single Adult </B></FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=bottom width="11%" height=58><B><FONT color=#221e1f size=1>
<P align=center>Single Adult with 1 Child </B></FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="13%" height=58><B><FONT color=#221e1f size=1>
<P align=center>Single Adult with 2 Children </B></FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=bottom width="14%" height=58><B><FONT color=#221e1f size=1>
<P align=center>2 Adults, 1 Working with 2 Children </B></FONT></P></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=center width="31%" height=32><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=left>Living Wage Job Openings </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="13%" colSpan=2 height=32><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=center>18,042 </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="11%" height=32><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=center>7,180 </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="13%" height=32><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=center>3,649 </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="14%" height=32><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=center>5,252 </FONT></P></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=bottom width="31%" height=70><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=left>Job seekers per living wage job opening </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="13%" colSpan=2 height=70><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=center>3:1 </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="11%" height=70><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=center>7:1 </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="13%" height=70><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=center>14:1 </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=center width="14%" height=70><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=center>10:1 </FONT></P></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD vAlign=top width="18%" height=41>
<P></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=bottom width="31%" height=41><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=center>Percent of all job openings that pay less than a living
wage </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=top width="13%" colSpan=2 height=41><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=center>35% </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=top width="11%" height=41><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=center>74% </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=top width="13%" height=41><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=center>87% </FONT></P></TD>
<TD vAlign=top width="14%" height=41><FONT
face="Helvetica Condensed,Helvetica Condensed" color=#221e1f size=3>
<P align=center>81% </FONT></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P>
<P align=left> </P></B></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>