Despite improving jobs reports, hourly wages are barely improving, rising by 2% or about 4 cents in April. When inflation is taken into account, the average worker is making about $545 less now than they were in 2009. Analysts say that stagnant wages mean less spending from consumers, a key driver of economic growth. Productivity has also risen since the beginning of the recession, but wage increases have not been commensurate.
See "Profits don't flow through to wages", Paul Davidson and John Waggoner, USA Today, May 5, 2013