Minnesota trades union workers seeing wage growth

The Great Recession not only rocked the economy, it also stifled wages. However, compensation rates (wages and benefits per hour) for trades workers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area have started to rebound (see Chart 1), according to data from the labor relations law firm Management Guidance LLP.

The recent increases are welcome news for union workers after two years of stagnation, but are still below the increases of the 1990s and early 2000s. Most of the increases were similar across construction occupations. Among licensed trades, electricians and plumbers have the highest compensation per hour (see Chart 2).