Where's the money?

Interestingly enough, a pivotal job in any business, company and/or corporation experienced a salary decline in 2006. A story in PR Tactics and The Strategist Online, discussed the findings of Spring Associates, Inc.’s “The Official PR Salary & Bonus Report—2007 Edition.” The firm found that corporate communications base salary only increased 3.3 percent in 2006, compared to 2005’s 7.6 percent. PR agency’s base salary experienced a 3.2 percent salary declined, a stark contrast to 2005’s 8.9 percent increase.

This concerns me because in the article, results also showed that people spoke of “working excessive hours and feeling overworked and underpaid” and that some clients’ “best employees are not happy with their wage and working situation.” It has been proven true in many studies that people who are happy with their jobs, feel valued and when paid accordingly, work harder. I worry that if employees feel unappreciated and are unhappy, overall work quality could decline and ultimately undermine the purpose of public relations.