There are some sectors where these wages can still be earned, like in medical device, aerospace, and weapons manufacturing, but these are very small niches which are overall meaningless in the grander scheme of things. Not to mention, the vast majority of both industries still have been outsourced to locations were labor can be more easily exploited.
Probably the only reason these manufacturing plants are still around is because the upstream industries (pharmaceuticals, defense) are flush enough with capital from hyperexploitation that a couple hundred good salaries here and there is essentially a rounding error.
When I started out doing non-specialized manufacturing the starting wage was $10/hr (in an area where a 1BR apartment starts around $1500/mo). Far from the standard of living we think about in the American "Golden Age."
There are some sectors where these wages can still be earned, like in medical device, aerospace, and weapons manufacturing, but these are very small niches which are overall meaningless in the grander scheme of things. Not to mention, the vast majority of both industries still have been outsourced to locations were labor can be more easily exploited.
Probably the only reason these manufacturing plants are still around is because the upstream industries (pharmaceuticals, defense) are flush enough with capital from hyperexploitation that a couple hundred good salaries here and there is essentially a rounding error.
When I started out doing non-specialized manufacturing the starting wage was $10/hr (in an area where a 1BR apartment starts around $1500/mo). Far from the standard of living we think about in the American "Golden Age."