Third and most important, the average hourly wage is held down by the great increase of women and immigrants into the workforce over the past three decades.

WSJ: Donald Boudreaux and Mark Perry: The Myth of a Stagnant Middle Class

Since almost all lesser-skilled workers entering the workforce in any given year are paid wages lower than the average, the measured statistic, "average hourly wage, " remained stagnant over the years even while the real wages of actual flesh-and-blood workers employed in any given year rose over time as they gained more experience and skills.

WSJ: Donald Boudreaux and Mark Perry: The Myth of a Stagnant Middle Class

In contrast, across all age groups and education levels, government figures show that the average age-adjusted hourly wage for workers in production and non supervisor roles have, in fact, risen 3% in the same time period.

FORBES: Jobs Outlook Brightens But Gen-Y Paychecks Shrink

So wage pressure has been rising, with average hourly pay edging up 0.4% in both June and July, according to the latest government figures.

FORBES: Magazine Article

But wage pressure has been creeping up, with average hourly wages edging up 0.4% in both June and July, according to the latest government figures.

FORBES: Fed Takes A Breath

Since September, as unemployment has jumped three percentage points, the average work week has shrunk (see chart 2) and hourly wage growth has slowed sharply to 3.1%.

ECONOMIST: The recession and pay

The figure below shows the real hourly wage and hours worked by employees of the average small business as a fraction of their levels when the Great Recession began.

FORBES: Small Business Employees Working Harder for Less

Furthermore, average hourly earnings rose by .3% during the month, as wage inflation has been lacking for quite some time and has severely lagged a rebound in corporate profits.

FORBES: Employment Numbers: No Lipstick On This Pig