Chart 3
Manufacturing and construction jobs have higher wages and better benefits than jobs in the exploding service sector: Average hourly compensation in construction, manufacturing, and service industries, 2021
| Sector | Wages | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | $31.35 | $9.89 |
| Manufacturing | $29.93 | $10.78 |
| Services | $28.14 | $7.61 |
Source: Economic Policy Institute (EPI) analysis of Current Employment Statistics (BLS-CES various years) and Employer Costs for Employee Compensation data for June 2021 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2021a).
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- We still haven’t recovered well-paying construction and manufacturing jobs
- Botched policy responses to globalization have decimated manufacturing employment with often overlooked costs for Black, Brown, and other workers of color: Investing in infrastructure and rebalancing trade can create good jobs for all