Good Jobs Not Returning But Profits Soar

[Yahoo] A recent Wall Street Journal analysis found that even though productivity rose 5.2 percent from mid 2009 to the end of 2010, wages increased by just 0.3 percent. That means only 6 percent of productivity gains were shared with workers. In past recoveries, that figure has averaged 58 percent.

During this "recovery", far more of the gains went to shareholders, in the form of profits, which are at record levels.

Corporate profits hit a record $1.67 trillion in the third quarter of 2010 -- up an eye-popping 28 percent from a year ago. Often, that would correspond with an increase in hiring, as companies use those profits to expand. But that's not happening. Instead, businesses are playing things safe, and simply holding onto their cash.