Erick Ajax, co-owner of a Fridley-based manufacturer, EJ Ajax and Sons, takes issue with a recent post about manufacturing wage growth in the U.S.

Normally, these responses would appear in the comments that follow a post. And I rarely respond to those comments because I figure I've already had my piece.

At Erick's request I'm posting this as a blog post. But I feel it's necessary to point out that he mischaracterizes a couple of things I said.

  • One: the point was not to compare wage and benefits in Europe vs. the U.S., but the growth in wage and benefits during the period measured. In the U.S., wages remained almost flat - a fact that surely discourages people from pursuing those careers.
  • Two: Some people are advising young people not to go to college. My original post included a link to such an instance. On this fact, both Erick and Eric are in agreement: post-high school education is mandatory in today's economy.

Now, on to Mr. Ajax: