Economists see wage gains as US recovery spreads to more workers

New York

FOR years, even as the economy recovered and the stock market soared, most US workers saw little evidence of better times in their paychecks.

But last month's surprisingly large increase in both average hourly and weekly earnings, along with other encouraging data, has convinced many economists that falling unemployment and increased hiring are finally about to start paying off in terms of wage gains for a broader swath of workers.

"It's the beginning of an uptick, and we should see it continue over the next year or two…