Sat, 18 Apr 2026 22:19:20 +0000

Midwest’s Lowest Pay Hits Ohio—Nothing Stops the Slow Collapse of Manufacturing Wages In recent years, Ohio has become a stark example of the growing wage stagnation sweeping across the Midwest. Once a cornerstone of American manufacturing, the Buckeye State is now enduring what experts describe as a slow but relentless collapse in workers’ pay—especially among its manufacturing sector, where wages remain among the lowest in the nation. From Cleveland to Cincinnati and beyond, Ohio’s industrial heartlands are feeling the fire of a deepening economic downturn that shows no signs of slowing. ### The Midwest’s Rising Wage Gap Widening income disparities and shrinking job quality have placed the Midwest in the crosshairs of national labor trends. Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio now rank near the bottom in median hourly wages when compared to other Midwestern and Rust Belt states. According to recent data from the Economic Policy Institute, Ohio’s manufacturing wages lag significantly behind national averages—with median hourly pay for production workers often below $22, a fraction below inflation-adjusted highs from the 2000s.