Although the U.S. economy created 308,000 jobs in March, three-quarters of them came from lower-wage service industries. According to a study of government data by the Economic Policy Institute none of the 2.8 million factory jobs lost since President Bush took office in 2001 have been replaced, forcing many workers to accept lower-paying alternatives in fields such as retail and health care. Workers in states like Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania are still struggling despite recent economic gains because they have lost many higher-paying middle-class jobs.
See "Rise in job numbers leaves many workers with less pay", Richard Keil and Laurence Arnold, Chicago Tribune, April 12, 2004