Previously on "The Rising Tide"

A rising tide lifts all boats - or so we have been asked (repeatedly) to believe.

A testable hypothesis offered in a recent exchange of views:

...the force that's going to push up wages and income levels locally is aggressive job creation that pushes us closer to full employment -- that's the promise of DMC as proposed. Reason to be encouraged....

Consider:

 

(a)

• Rochester has experienced double digit average hourly wage growth in every month in the last two years (as of 02/2013). http://bit.ly/18WyMxB
• Rochester is nearing full employment. Unemployment at 4.3% as of 05/2013 (down from a high of 7.3% in 03/2010) http://1.usa.gov/1dkvSsr where full employment is generally considered to be 4% unemployment.

(b)

• At roughly the same time, the number of children receiving free and reduced lunches has increased from 6,874 to 7,698 (30.9% to 34.3%). http://bit.ly/19Iyv21
• Children receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has increased from 5,268 to 6,192 (14.7% to 17%). http://bit.ly/1din84W

(c)

• The tide seems to be rising: more people are working at a higher average wage.
• Yet, there is an increase in the number of children needing food assistance.

 

For further inquiry:

 

Even without DMC, the tide has been rising, yet all boats are not being lifted. It may be prudent to revisit the faith one has in rising tides. Likewise, of the hypothesis "...the force that's going to push up wages and income levels locally is aggressive job creation that pushes us closer to full employment..." one might usefully ask, "Is that so?"