There's startling news out of a new survey by Hewitt Associates, a national human-resources firm: People are getting raises.
In this day and age! Not only that, but Houston is at the top of the pack for this strange, more or less unheard-of phenomenon.
Hewitt's survey shows that Houston workers can expect to see a 3.4 percent increase in their salaries next year, which compares to rates like 3 percent in Minneapolis/St. Paul and Washington, DC, 2.4 percent in San Francisco and 2.2 percent in Los Angeles.
Who are the people getting all these "raises"?
Industries projecting above average salary increases in 2010 include energy (3.7 percent), and food/beverage/tobacco (3.1 percent). The industries with the lowest expected increases are industrial machinery/equipment (1.6 percent), education (2.0 percent), and automotive/vehicle manufacturing (2.1 percent).
Houston's damn full of energy executives and restaurant employees, so we guess that makes sense.
A chart put out by Hewitt doesn't seem to shed much light on the subject. As we read it, it looks like Houston is getting a four percent increase for its salaries workers, which is in line with Dallas and pretty well the best in the nation except for Washington, DC, which is looking at 4.3 percent.
We have a call in to Hewitt; we'll let you know if the fog is lifted.
In the meanwhile, Houston, enjoy these raises. They should give you a nostalgic glow from the days of yore.
Update: A Hewitt spokeswoman tells us the chart is incorrect, and will be changed.