Minimum Wage Goes Up!

[Paradoxium]

Stein's real life econ sucks

 

[Addendum]

I always wanted to win his money, but I had no way to get to California as a college student

 

[katie_girl09]

Who intends to make a career of minimum wage jobs?

No one intends to, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't happen to some.

 

[Majic Walrus]

I believe that would be about $9.26 USD. I will never reveal my location as Ontario to a potential stalker... Crap.
We started raising it loooong before the recession.

On my way to Ontario!

Still that's a fairly high minimum wage. In my area that's what would be called, "not bad money" especially someone with little formal education.

I don't really think its that simple. Everything is getting more and more expensive. Shouldn't minimum wage increase as the cost of living increases?

Unfortunately things get even more expensive when everyone has more money.

 

[DeGenerate10]

Across the States.

http://www.wxii12.com/news/20172367/detail.html

Here in North Carolina, it went from a lousy $6.55 to $7.25.

For me on the other hand...before I quit Wal-Hell--Wal-Mart. I made $7.90 working in the parking lot, full-time. Wal-Mart btw pays %7.50 an hour starting, well they did at least before I quit like 2 months ago.

Same here in West Virginia. I'll be making 7.45 now.

 

[Figs]

That is why your state is bankrupt

I know part of the reason is for unnecessary f'ing roadwork almost every 4-6 months in the bay area at least. I feel like watching the movie Falling Down now.

So, are you saying part of the reason it's bankrupt is because of how expensive everything is out here or due to $8.00 minimum wage?

 

[bullets]

Who intends to make a career of minimum wage jobs?

Me.

 

[Alistair]

Well,

It sucks for the ones that worked themselves up from 5.15 to 7.75, and the company is to cheap to give a pay raise, even if your in minor management. I mean, min. wage was meant to be just that, min so you have incentive to do better, IMO. Ya do, and get jacked. =/

That's my view on it, and in the end it really doesn't help since everything else comes up with it.

Tootles,
Ali

 

[StorminNorman]

That's surprisingly un-libertarian of you.

I feel like businesses should have the ability to pay, overpay, and even underpay their employees for minimum wage jobs. If I McDonalds is willing to pay 6.50 an hour and Jack in the Box is willing to pay 7.50 then Jack in the Box will get more employees to select from and therefore have better employees, better service, and better business.

To compete McDonalds will need start raising the amount that they pay.

Yea, I mean I understand the benefits of not raising the wage, and I understand that it would have a negative impact - but I don't think it will necessarily be as soon as the minimum wage increase is enacted and that over time the job market will improve as it is to compensate for those lost jobs.

I don't really think its that simple. Everything is getting more and more expensive. Shouldn't minimum wage increase as the cost of living increases?

No.

 

[katie_girl09]

No.

But why is that?

 

[Majic Walrus]

Yea, I mean I understand the benefits of not raising the wage, and I understand that it would have a negative impact - but I don't think it will necessarily be as soon as the minimum wage increase is enacted and that over time the job market will improve as it is to compensate for those lost jobs.

No.

Interesting. Do you think that the high rate of unemployment will actually help the raise because there will be as much money being spent but it will be being spent by fewer?

 

[StorminNorman]

But why is that?

Because the reality is most minimum wage earners are not fully dependent on themselves for income.

Interesting. Do you think that the high rate of unemployment will actually help the raise because there will be as much money being spent but it will be being spent by fewer?

I think a case can be made.

 

[katie_girl09]

Because the reality is most minimum wage earners are not fully dependent on themselves for income.

That is not always true at all.

 

[StorminNorman]

That is not always true at all.

And? The minimum wage isn't meant to be a salary you can live comfortably on. You can certainly live, minimally, on the wage.

 

[katie_girl09]

And? The minimum wage isn't meant to be a salary you can live comfortably on. You can certainly live, minimally, on the wage.

And I don't recall anyone saying that people who make minimum wage should be living luxuriously. The point is that their wage should increase as the cost of living gets more and more expensive. If you don't do that, imagine how many more people would be on assistance. How can you possibly be against raising minimum wage to meet the cost of living?

 

[Majic Walrus]

And? The minimum wage isn't meant to be a salary you can live comfortably on. You can certainly live, minimally, on the wage.

Differing from that though you do recognize that there are single income families of three (mom, dad, kid) that are working for near minimum wage if not actual minimum wage. Many of those people fall below the "poverty level".

I know that the poverty level is actually just an arbitrary number, but what that means is more government involvement through social programs and welfare programs. While there have been recent advancements in most states to reform welfare it is still a system that is easily abused and too often needed.

I don't think raising the minimum wage would help at all, but it's important to recognize those people.

 

[Majic Walrus]

And I don't recall anyone saying that people who make minimum wage should be living luxuriously. The point is that their wage should increase as the cost of living gets more and more expensive. If you don't do that, imagine how many more people would be on assistance. How can you possibly be against raising minimum wage to meet the cost of living?

The problem is that minimum wage increases increase the cost of living. When companies have to pay employees they have to raise prices so with each wage increase the cost of living increases.

 

[Paradoxium]

And I don't recall anyone saying that people who make minimum wage should be living luxuriously. The point is that their wage should increase as the cost of living gets more and more expensive. If you don't do that, imagine how many more people would be on assistance. How can you possibly be against raising minimum wage to meet the cost of living?

If people are so concerned with higher cost of living, they should stop electing dumbasses that enact policies that raise the cost of living, ie. rent control and zoning laws that ****s the economics through the nine circles of hell. Being well intended policies doesn't change the fact it's a dumb ass policy.

More importantly it screws youth and ethnic minorities, as the employers are less likely to gamble and hire this unfamiliar and inexperienced group on a higher dime. They get stuck in the "not-enough-experience" catch-22 limbo. And yes the stats do back it, but I don't want to give Marx a head ache and pulls my signature "teh Chartz".

 

[Addendum]

Let me tell you a story about a cousin of mine. After high school, she went to college. But didn't like it and dropped out. She then got a job at a Walmart and hated working there, but at least it was work. While she was there, she set some money aside and eventually had enough to go back to college and get a degree. She graduated this past May. Afterward, she literally sent out 90 resumes to companies that were in the field she got her degree in. She finally found one in her hometown, is working there right now, and her boss is impressed with her work that she is already going to get a promotion and raise in the next couple months. If what she's making is important to some, her yearly salary at her current job is what she earned at walmart in 4 years.

What's the point of the story you might ask? If you want something, instead of simply waiting around for **** to happen, get off your ass and work for it.

 

[The Squirrel]

The problem is that minimum wage increases increase the cost of living. When companies have to pay employees they have to raise prices so with each wage increase the cost of living increases.

Yeah. When you raise the minimum wage, everything else just ends up going up. So really, everything ends up being about the same. Except for the people who are making more than minimum wage, but won't get a pay raise when the wage goes up.

 

[katie_girl09]

The problem is that minimum wage increases increase the cost of living. When companies have to pay employees they have to raise prices so with each wage increase the cost of living increases.

I am aware of that, but the sad truth is that in North America, the price of things go up even without a raise. For that reason alone, I think minimum wage should be adjusted from time to time.

 

[Paradoxium]

Those greedy corporations paying more than the minimum actually like higher minimum wages. Is it any surprised most unions push for minimum wage increases and much of the workers in these said union seldom come close to the minimum. Believe me, it has nothing to do with good morals.

It raises the cost for their rivals; thus allowing them to monopolize certain markets, thus raising the cost of living.

It's pretty brilliant, to exploit the bleeding heart to make a bigger dime. t:

 

[The Original Bamfer]

I am aware of that, but the sad truth is that in North America, the price of things go up even without a raise. For that reason alone, I think minimum wage should be adjusted from time to time.

People could then argue that, when prices go down, so should minimum wage.

 

[Paradoxium]

This is why we are having the recession.

Recessions are natural corrections to change the price and value of everything to reflect their real value. It's the purging of malinvestments, and to retweak things for the better.

For example, housing prices were part of a bubble, and less affluent people can't afford it because of this. Now it rockets downwards to their real value, the less affluent can finally afford it!

 

[katie_girl09]

...What's the point of the story you might ask? If you want something, instead of simply waiting around for **** to happen, get off your ass and work for it.

Yes. Because its always that simple for everyone. Did your cousin have kids, or anyone to provide for besides herself?
People who work those less-than-desirable jobs deserve respect as well. More importantly, they deserve to be able to live as human beings above poverty. They work for their money just as everyone else does. In fact, I find that generally speaking, the more money a person makes, the less they have to work (note - I am NOT saying this is always true). We cannot all be doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. Someone has to work the jobs that they do. If not, society as we know it would collapse.

Just sticking up for the working poor.