Wages in Yakima fall below rest of nation

YAKIMA, Wash. -- The average wage in Yakima County is lower than the national average, according to a report released Wednesday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Yakima's hourly wage was $17.85, compared with the nationwide average of $20.90. The Occupational Employment Statistics estimates were collected during a three-year period starting in November 2006 and ending in May 2009.

However, it should be noted that the study is based on a mail survey sent out to about 1.2 million nonfarm employers around the nation.

The report classified its responses into 22 major occupational groups. Yakima's responses are based on 1,090 establishments.

BLS statistician David Kong said the BLS only reports nonfarm establishments, but he couldn't give a reason for the method.

The actual average wage might even be lower than the figure reported because the region depends heavily on agriculture and farm workers, who are commonly low-wage earners.

According to the survey, only 4 percent of Yakima's occupational employment is in farming, fishing, and forestry.

Regional labor economist Don Meseck of Ellensburg was not surprised to find that Yakima had a low average wage. However, considering many of Yakima's agricultural businesses, Meseck said he was surprised to find that the survey indicated just 4 percent of employment was in farming, fishing and forestry.

"The farming jobs solicited in the survey are primarily agricultural services, not actually jobs in the farm run or orchards," he said. "Hence, the low rate of 4 percent. We actually have approximately 21 to 23 percent of jobs in agriculture in Yakima. Occupational groups you are looking at (BLS report) are primarily pesticide application, crop rotation, aerial dusting, sheep sheering and agricultural service entities."

Nationally, food preparation and serving had the lowest average wage, at $10.04. Yakima's lowest average wage was farming, fishing and forestry at $10.82.

Management occupations had the highest wage both in Yakima and nationally. Yakima's average management wage was $43.13 and nationally it was $49.47. Management makes up 2.7 percent of total occupational employment in Yakima.

The metropolitan area including Seattle, Tacoma and Bellevue had the highest average wage at $24.93. Longview had the lowest in the state at $16.44.

* Viviana Buzo can be reached at 509-577-7675 or vbuzo@yakimaherald.com.