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OUR VIEW Our View: Income gap penalizes workers and society Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Sep. 16, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Sep. 16, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News It will come as no surprise to anyone in Jackson County that the gap between those at the top and the bottom of the income scale is wider than ever. That income gap is not unique to this area; it's nationwide, and what to do about it will be a major topic in the race for the White House next year. The problem is especially acute here, however, largely a result of the loss of well-paying logging and mill jobs when timber harvests began their steep decline more than 20 years ago. Business reporter Greg Stiles laid out the numbers in a story in Sunday's Mail Tribune. Top earners in Jackson County are making 13 times more money than the lowest-paid workers, and that gap has been growing steadily for a decade. Tim Duy, director of the Oregon Economic Forum at the University of Oregon, says the gap is most pronounced between what he calls cognitive-skill jobs and routine-skill jobs. Routine-skill jobs such as those in manufacturing industries are increasingly automated, meaning fewer workers are needed. That's true even in the lumber mill jobs that still exist. Education is one answer, but it won't solve the problem for everyone. Some cognitive-skill jobs that require college degrees are on the increase, especially in the health care industry. But there aren't enough of those jobs for everyone, and even if there were, not every worker is cut out for them. A sizable percentage of the workforce will always be more suited to routine-skill jobs, but fewer and fewer of those pay enough to support a middle-class lifestyle. More and more of those jobs are found in the restaurant and hospitality industry, which has always paid the lowest wages in the local economy. The answer is not artificially equalizing incomes by taking from the rich and giving to the poor, although increasing the minimum wage beyond inflationary amounts would help level the playing field and reward people who are now working for not much of a living. When people with full-time jobs cannot earn enough to maintain a decent standard of living, that isn't good for anyone. As economists explain, an economy needs a certain level of spending on goods and services — cars, houses, appliances, furniture, food and entertainment — to thrive. When too much of the income is concentrated at the top and too little at the bottom, not enough gets spent to keep the economy healthy. Some restoration of resource-based jobs such as logging and wood products manufacturing would help raise wages at the lower end of the scale, but that isn't likely to be enough to fix the problem entirely. High-tech jobs are the gold standard, but the competition is fierce and more rural areas have an uphill climb in securing them. Tourism generally produces more of the low-pay service jobs. There is no easy answer, but more of the same is no answer at all. Pay attention to what the candidates say in the coming election and give credit to those who seem intent on offering at least a piece of the American dream to those who are willing to work for it. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Sep. 16, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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