Nevada weekly wages continue to rise

Weekly wages paid to Nevadans continue to improve, according to the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation’s chief economist.Average weekly wages in Nevada have been trending up since bottoming out in the recession,” said Bill Anderson. “Specifically, during the first half of the year, wages in Nevada averaged $830, a rise of 2.6 percent.”During the first half of 2011, the average weekly wage was $809.He said the average wage has increased in six of the past eight quarters.“Should current trends hold, Nevada is on pace to set an all-time average weekly wage high this year,” he said. “However, in real terms after adjusting for inflation, recent wage trends appear to be relatively flat.”Anderson said the problem is the 2.4 percent increase in the Consumer Price Index during the first six months of this year.He said the wage trends are consistent with other barometers that indicate the labor market has “been on the mend since right around the beginning of 2011.”