US wages set to start rising as jobs market firms: economists

Washington

THE bigger wage gains that have so far eluded American workers probably will begin to materialise this year as the job market tightens, according to economists polled by Bloomberg.

Hourly earnings for employees on company payrolls will advance 2 per cent to 3 per cent on average, according to 61 of 69 economists surveyed Jan 5-7. They climbed 1.7 per cent in the year through December.