If The Economy Is So Great Why Can't Most People Miss One Paycheck?

[initforme]

The labor market is flooded with highly qualified hard working young people and employers have it easy filling jobs. That depressed wages.

 

[danielpalos]

The labor market is flooded with highly qualified hard working young people and employers have it easy filling jobs. That depressed wages.

supply side economics leads to over supply not over demand.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

lousy capitalists lose money on public policy?

Again with the random...

 

[Oldstyle]

Gee, Daniel...I wonder who's more intelligent...you...or say, Condi Rice? Do you take her seriously?

depends on the argument.

we should raise the minimum wage to raise tax revenue.

So your "solution" to increasing tax revenue is to artificially raise wages across the board which will by necessity also increase the cost of goods and services across the board which means the average American will be no better off than they were before but many young people and those without many job skills will probably be unable to find an entry level job.

Do yourself a favor, Daniel...there is a very fine economic text book by Thomas Sowell that explains EXACTLY why a minimum wage is counter productive! Read it so you have a clue what it is that you're talking about!

inflation happens. it won't be a one to one ratio. don't worry. and, higher paid labor pays more in taxes and creates more in demand. only the right wing, never gets it.

Inflation DOES happen! Especially when you increase wages artificially. So explain to me what the benefit to the average American is, if you increase his wages...which not only increases the cost of all of the goods and services he buys...but also buts him into a higher tax bracket so that he owes more in taxes?

Why would THAT increase demand? You'd be decreasing spendable income and that would decrease demand. You need to seriously study this subject before you make a bigger fool of yourself than you already have!

you don't know what you are talking about. it is a cost of living adjustment so that Labor can afford our First World economy. Henry Ford knew what it was about, the right wing doesn't. coincidence or conspiracy?

How is the decision Henry Ford made to pay his workers more money ANYTHING like your call for artificially inflating wages? Ford decided to pay his workers more money because he was losing workers over the monotony of working on an assembly line. He didn't do it because he wanted to give his workers a cost of living increase it was strictly a business decision based on what he thought HE needed to spend to retain workers! Your example of Ford proves that free markets CAN and SHOULD determine wages!

You still haven't explained how it is that you're going to keep inflation from totally wiping out the spending power of any wage increases that you mandate.

 

[Oldstyle]

So your "solution" to increasing tax revenue is to artificially raise wages across the board which will by necessity also increase the cost of goods and services across the board which means the average American will be no better off than they were before but many young people and those without many job skills will probably be unable to find an entry level job.

Do yourself a favor, Daniel...there is a very fine economic text book by Thomas Sowell that explains EXACTLY why a minimum wage is counter productive! Read it so you have a clue what it is that you're talking about!

inflation happens. it won't be a one to one ratio. don't worry. and, higher paid labor pays more in taxes and creates more in demand. only the right wing, never gets it.

Inflation DOES happen! Especially when you increase wages artificially. So explain to me what the benefit to the average American is, if you increase his wages...which not only increases the cost of all of the goods and services he buys...but also buts him into a higher tax bracket so that he owes more in taxes?

Why would THAT increase demand? You'd be decreasing spendable income and that would decrease demand. You need to seriously study this subject before you make a bigger fool of yourself than you already have!

First off, for every dollar of minimum wage increase, the cost of producing a hamburger goes up 10 cents, so yes, prices go up but labour is only a small percentage of the total cost, and so the price shouldn't go up all that much. Our provincial minimum wage went up $3 per hour to $14 this year. I haven't noticed any huge increases in prices in restaurants or stores, but those making minimum wage are now making $480 a month more, based on a 40 hour work week.

Friends tell me that the kids making minimum wage are spending that money as fast as they make it, and those kids are now buying more consumer goods than they could afford before this raise. In order to have growth, you need both supply and demand.

First off, for every dollar of minimum wage increase, the cost of producing a hamburger goes up 10 cents, so yes, prices go up but labour is only a small percentage of the total cost

You think labor is only 10% of the expense of a fast food restaurant?

The INCREASE of the cost is less than 10% because the cost of his wage is already included his original salary. If you can't figure out the calculation, you have no business whatsoever, commenting on economics.

Raising fast-food hourly wages to $15 would raise prices by 4%, study finds

I have a HUGE problem with the study cited, Dragonlady! Their calculations are based on only raising the minimum wage of employees working in a restaurant to $15 and totally ignore what would happen if that were to happen!

Explain to me how you would feel if you had been working at said restaurant for several years...gaining job skills and several pay raises...raises that had brought your wages to the $15 level that entry level employees are now getting. Are you going to be content to make the same as the newbies? Or are you going to expect to be paid as much more than them NOW as you were BEFORE?

Now tell me what the supervisor who makes even more is going to want to compensate THEM accordingly!

Now do that for every single purveyor that supplies food, beverages, linens, trash removal, or cleaning services as all of their entry level employees get wage bumps and all of their more experienced workers demand more to make up the difference!

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

This is why Americans are so miserable. You sit around expecting to make millions, while doing low-value work.

I am not suggesting anyone should deserve to make millions. Settle down and talk like an adult. But I will suggest that people who work full time should be able to buy a house, and a car, and take a vacation every year. While that may see like "royal living" where you come from, that's just a basic standard of living we should have here AND where you come from. So, if you would like to argue against that, then go right ahead. Or play with your "I deserve millions!!!" dollies. Whatever.

 

[Oldstyle]

This is why Americans are so miserable. You sit around expecting to make millions, while doing low-value work.

I am not suggesting anyone should deserve to make millions. Settle down and talk like an adult. But I will suggest that people who work full time should be able to buy a house, and a car, and take a vacation every year. While that may see like "royal living" where you come from, that's just a basic standard of living we should have here AND where you come from. So, if you would like to argue against that, then go right ahead. Or play with your "I deserve millions!!!" dollies. Whatever.

I'm curious...do you really think that simply having a full time job should entitle every person that has one to the means to buy their own home, car and take a vacation every year? Don't you think the TYPE of full time job that you have should determine that?

 

[Oldstyle]

I mean let's be serious here...it's almost a given that if you're working full time at an entry level job...then you're going to struggle to pay rent on an apartment, keep a used car on the road and perhaps have some money left over to take some kind of vacation. Buying a house, a car and taking vacations are not something that has EVER fallen under the heading of a basic standard of living! Why should it now?

 

[Oldstyle]

Gee, Daniel...I wonder who's more intelligent...you...or say, Condi Rice? Do you take her seriously?

depends on the argument.

we should raise the minimum wage to raise tax revenue.

So your "solution" to increasing tax revenue is to artificially raise wages across the board which will by necessity also increase the cost of goods and services across the board which means the average American will be no better off than they were before but many young people and those without many job skills will probably be unable to find an entry level job.

Do yourself a favor, Daniel...there is a very fine economic text book by Thomas Sowell that explains EXACTLY why a minimum wage is counter productive! Read it so you have a clue what it is that you're talking about!

inflation happens. it won't be a one to one ratio. don't worry. and, higher paid labor pays more in taxes and creates more in demand. only the right wing, never gets it.

Inflation DOES happen! Especially when you increase wages artificially. So explain to me what the benefit to the average American is, if you increase his wages...which not only increases the cost of all of the goods and services he buys...but also buts him into a higher tax bracket so that he owes more in taxes?

Why would THAT increase demand? You'd be decreasing spendable income and that would decrease demand. You need to seriously study this subject before you make a bigger fool of yourself than you already have!

First off, for every dollar of minimum wage increase, the cost of producing a hamburger goes up 10 cents, so yes, prices go up but labour is only a small percentage of the total cost, and so the price shouldn't go up all that much. Our provincial minimum wage went up $3 per hour to $14 this year. I haven't noticed any huge increases in prices in restaurants or stores, but those making minimum wage are now making $480 a month more, based on a 40 hour work week.

Friends tell me that the kids making minimum wage are spending that money as fast as they make it, and those kids are now buying more consumer goods than they could afford before this raise. In order to have growth, you need both supply and demand.

I think you need to research the food industry if you think that labor is only a small percentage of cost. It isn't. Generally speaking it's the largest cost by far...somewhere in the 30% range.

 

[Dragonlady]

depends on the argument.

we should raise the minimum wage to raise tax revenue.

So your "solution" to increasing tax revenue is to artificially raise wages across the board which will by necessity also increase the cost of goods and services across the board which means the average American will be no better off than they were before but many young people and those without many job skills will probably be unable to find an entry level job.

Do yourself a favor, Daniel...there is a very fine economic text book by Thomas Sowell that explains EXACTLY why a minimum wage is counter productive! Read it so you have a clue what it is that you're talking about!

inflation happens. it won't be a one to one ratio. don't worry. and, higher paid labor pays more in taxes and creates more in demand. only the right wing, never gets it.

Inflation DOES happen! Especially when you increase wages artificially. So explain to me what the benefit to the average American is, if you increase his wages...which not only increases the cost of all of the goods and services he buys...but also buts him into a higher tax bracket so that he owes more in taxes?

Why would THAT increase demand? You'd be decreasing spendable income and that would decrease demand. You need to seriously study this subject before you make a bigger fool of yourself than you already have!

First off, for every dollar of minimum wage increase, the cost of producing a hamburger goes up 10 cents, so yes, prices go up but labour is only a small percentage of the total cost, and so the price shouldn't go up all that much. Our provincial minimum wage went up $3 per hour to $14 this year. I haven't noticed any huge increases in prices in restaurants or stores, but those making minimum wage are now making $480 a month more, based on a 40 hour work week.

Friends tell me that the kids making minimum wage are spending that money as fast as they make it, and those kids are now buying more consumer goods than they could afford before this raise. In order to have growth, you need both supply and demand.

I think you need to research the food industry if you think that labor is only a small percentage of cost. It isn't. Generally speaking it's the largest cost by far...somewhere in the 30% range.

My parents owned a successful restaurant. I've worked in restaurants. Half of my family either owns or works in restaurants. I also worked in banking where I had to learn the cost ratios of various businesses, including restaurants.

Labour costs in restaurants are currently 25 to 35% of gross sales depending on the type of restaurant. Fast food - 25%, high end with table service - 35%. So if we give the staff a 25% raise, the costs will increase by just over 6% at most. Would you pay 6% more for a Big Mac, if you knew the staff were no longer going to qualify for food stamps, Section 8, or earned income credits. I sure as hell would.

Bear in mind that McDonalds has one of the most profitable companies in America, and that wages are a tax deductible expense, so that the every dollar that McDonalds gives its employees in raises, only costs the company 80 cents.

Is there anything else you'd like to know about restaurant management, Old Man?

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

So your "solution" to increasing tax revenue is to artificially raise wages across the board which will by necessity also increase the cost of goods and services across the board which means the average American will be no better off than they were before but many young people and those without many job skills will probably be unable to find an entry level job.

Do yourself a favor, Daniel...there is a very fine economic text book by Thomas Sowell that explains EXACTLY why a minimum wage is counter productive! Read it so you have a clue what it is that you're talking about!

inflation happens. it won't be a one to one ratio. don't worry. and, higher paid labor pays more in taxes and creates more in demand. only the right wing, never gets it.

Inflation DOES happen! Especially when you increase wages artificially. So explain to me what the benefit to the average American is, if you increase his wages...which not only increases the cost of all of the goods and services he buys...but also buts him into a higher tax bracket so that he owes more in taxes?

Why would THAT increase demand? You'd be decreasing spendable income and that would decrease demand. You need to seriously study this subject before you make a bigger fool of yourself than you already have!

First off, for every dollar of minimum wage increase, the cost of producing a hamburger goes up 10 cents, so yes, prices go up but labour is only a small percentage of the total cost, and so the price shouldn't go up all that much. Our provincial minimum wage went up $3 per hour to $14 this year. I haven't noticed any huge increases in prices in restaurants or stores, but those making minimum wage are now making $480 a month more, based on a 40 hour work week.

Friends tell me that the kids making minimum wage are spending that money as fast as they make it, and those kids are now buying more consumer goods than they could afford before this raise. In order to have growth, you need both supply and demand.

I think you need to research the food industry if you think that labor is only a small percentage of cost. It isn't. Generally speaking it's the largest cost by far...somewhere in the 30% range.

My parents owned a successful restaurant. I've worked in restaurants. Half of my family either owns or works in restaurants. I also worked in banking where I had to learn the cost ratios of various businesses, including restaurants. Labour costs in restaurants are 25 to 35% of gross sales depending on the type of restaurant. Fast food - 25%, high end with table service - 35%. So if we give the staff a 25% raise, the costs will increase by just over 6% at most. Would you pay 6% more for a Big Mac, if you knew the staff were no longer going to qualify for food stamps, Section 8, or earned income credits. I sure as hell would.

In a perfect world perhaps.

People who are on the dole find ways of staying there. Free money! Increase minimum wage, and you'll find employees working less hours. That's all you would accomplish.

Some of our customers use temporary employment services. Many of these temps are on some form of government assistance. When these companies ask the temps to work overtime, most of them refuse. As far as they are concerned, it's like working for free since more income means less benefits.

If you know any American business owners, ask them what it actually costs the company if they give an employee two dollars an hour more. It costs employers more because they have to pay for more workman's compensation insurance, more unemployment insurance, doubling the Medicare and Social Security contributions for each employee, a higher payout when those workers are on vacation or a paid holiday. It costs employers much more than the two bucks an hour.

 

[Ray From Cleveland]

This is why Americans are so miserable. You sit around expecting to make millions, while doing low-value work.

I am not suggesting anyone should deserve to make millions. Settle down and talk like an adult. But I will suggest that people who work full time should be able to buy a house, and a car, and take a vacation every year. While that may see like "royal living" where you come from, that's just a basic standard of living we should have here AND where you come from. So, if you would like to argue against that, then go right ahead. Or play with your "I deserve millions!!!" dollies. Whatever.

People don't open up or expand businesses to provide jobs that give employees the ability to buy those things. If you want those things, you need to get into a field of work that will provide those things. People invest money in business to provide services or products at a profit--their profit.

Take a company--any company that you feel underpays their workers. Now open up a similar business and pay your workers more wages and benefits. Which company do you think will close down within a few years, yours or theirs?

Businesses do nothing more than we American consumers. We look for the cheapest products or services we can find. If you get three estimates to have the transmission in your car rebuilt, you generally will take the lowest bid. You don't ask the transmission place what they pay their mechanics, what kind of benefits they provide, if their mechanics have the ability to buy new cars every five years or purchase a home. You just care about getting the work you needed done for the lowest price.

 

[Oldstyle]

So your "solution" to increasing tax revenue is to artificially raise wages across the board which will by necessity also increase the cost of goods and services across the board which means the average American will be no better off than they were before but many young people and those without many job skills will probably be unable to find an entry level job.

Do yourself a favor, Daniel...there is a very fine economic text book by Thomas Sowell that explains EXACTLY why a minimum wage is counter productive! Read it so you have a clue what it is that you're talking about!

inflation happens. it won't be a one to one ratio. don't worry. and, higher paid labor pays more in taxes and creates more in demand. only the right wing, never gets it.

Inflation DOES happen! Especially when you increase wages artificially. So explain to me what the benefit to the average American is, if you increase his wages...which not only increases the cost of all of the goods and services he buys...but also buts him into a higher tax bracket so that he owes more in taxes?

Why would THAT increase demand? You'd be decreasing spendable income and that would decrease demand. You need to seriously study this subject before you make a bigger fool of yourself than you already have!

First off, for every dollar of minimum wage increase, the cost of producing a hamburger goes up 10 cents, so yes, prices go up but labour is only a small percentage of the total cost, and so the price shouldn't go up all that much. Our provincial minimum wage went up $3 per hour to $14 this year. I haven't noticed any huge increases in prices in restaurants or stores, but those making minimum wage are now making $480 a month more, based on a 40 hour work week.

Friends tell me that the kids making minimum wage are spending that money as fast as they make it, and those kids are now buying more consumer goods than they could afford before this raise. In order to have growth, you need both supply and demand.

I think you need to research the food industry if you think that labor is only a small percentage of cost. It isn't. Generally speaking it's the largest cost by far...somewhere in the 30% range.

My parents owned a successful restaurant. I've worked in restaurants. Half of my family either owns or works in restaurants. I also worked in banking where I had to learn the cost ratios of various businesses, including restaurants.

Labour costs in restaurants are currently 25 to 35% of gross sales depending on the type of restaurant. Fast food - 25%, high end with table service - 35%. So if we give the staff a 25% raise, the costs will increase by just over 6% at most. Would you pay 6% more for a Big Mac, if you knew the staff were no longer going to qualify for food stamps, Section 8, or earned income credits. I sure as hell would.

Bear in mind that McDonalds has one of the most profitable companies in America, and that wages are a tax deductible expense, so that the every dollar that McDonalds gives its employees in raises, only costs the company 80 cents.

Is there anything else you'd like to know about restaurant management, Old Man?

Once again...you've ignored my point! You're not going to just give the low end of the pay scale a raise...you're going to give EVERYONE a pay raise! You're also not giving them a 25% raise. If this were Florida and you wanted a $15 an hour minimum then you're raising it from the current rate of $8.46. That's closer to a 50% raise than a 25%. You're also going to be giving raises to those who provide every good or service that those restaurants use which will in turn increase your food costs...your linen costs...your garbage pickup costs.

By the way if you really DID know about the restaurant business...you'd know that McDonald's doesn't pay the labor in it's restaurants because they are franchise owned. There is the company McDonald's and then there are the individual franchisees. The fact that McDonald's the company is profitable does NOT mean that the individual franchises are necessarily profitable especially if you increase their labor costs by nearly 50%! If you do raise those wages to that level you WILL be putting stores out of business and you WILL be seeing fewer people employed in those restaurants as franchisees switch over to ordering kiosks to save labor costs.

 

[Dragonlady]

This is why Americans are so miserable. You sit around expecting to make millions, while doing low-value work.

I am not suggesting anyone should deserve to make millions. Settle down and talk like an adult. But I will suggest that people who work full time should be able to buy a house, and a car, and take a vacation every year. While that may see like "royal living" where you come from, that's just a basic standard of living we should have here AND where you come from. So, if you would like to argue against that, then go right ahead. Or play with your "I deserve millions!!!" dollies. Whatever.

People don't open up or expand businesses to provide jobs that give employees the ability to buy those things. If you want those things, you need to get into a field of work that will provide those things. People invest money in business to provide services or products at a profit--their profit.

Take a company--any company that you feel underpays their workers. Now open up a similar business and pay your workers more wages and benefits. Which company do you think will close down within a few years, yours or theirs?

Businesses do nothing more than we American consumers. We look for the cheapest products or services we can find. If you get three estimates to have the transmission in your car rebuilt, you generally will take the lowest bid. You don't ask the transmission place what they pay their mechanics, what kind of benefits they provide, if their mechanics have the ability to buy new cars every five years or purchase a home. You just care about getting the work you needed done for the lowest price.

This is bullshit Ray. Even if you get an education and become a professional, or open your own business and live off the work of others, the economy still needs people to flip burgers, deliver pizzas and clean office buildings. If everybody opens a business or becomes a professional, who is going to do these low wage jobs? These people are entitled to a decent wage for a decent day's work.

There are a lot more workers than there are business owners or professionals, and while all jobs shouldn't be receiving equal pay, all full-time jobs should provide as least a modest roof over your head, food and clothing for a person, especially when the corporation is booking record profits.

The low wage bank job I had when I first left school paid minimum wage, and I had a two room apartment in downtown Toronto which I shared with my best friend. We couldn't afford much - bus passes for transportation, and lots of Kraft dinner for supper. An occasional concert at Ontario Place. But we didn't need social assistance to pay for any of this.

 

[Cecilie1200]

I mean let's be serious here...it's almost a given that if you're working full time at an entry level job...then you're going to struggle to pay rent on an apartment, keep a used car on the road and perhaps have some money left over to take some kind of vacation. Buying a house, a car and taking vacations are not something that has EVER fallen under the heading of a basic standard of living! Why should it now?

Exactly. Now that I've lived in Phoenix long enough to have a good idea of which areas I do and don't want to live in, I have a long-term goal of buying a house. Obviously, I need to save up money for a down payment. (I know, that probably sounds like crazy talk to leftists, earning and saving my own money over a long period in order to get what I want.) Thing is, while my husband and I make decent money at our jobs and put money aside in savings with every check, it's slow going. I would really like it if I could increase my income so that I can save the money faster.

Now, if I were a leftist, I would march around demanding that the government force my employer to give me more money. How DARE he pay me according to what my job is worth to his business, instead of according to what I want to have? Because I'm not a leftist, I'm doing this crazy thing where I'm going to classes online to earn a certification which will qualify me for jobs that pay more than I get now. (Again, I know this sounds incomprehensible to leftists, making a plan to improve my life and executing it out of my own pocket and my own efforts without any help from the government.)

 

[initforme]

With lower wages comes lower effort. With higher wages comes higher effort. So when an employer offers low wages they don't expect a good effort. Low wage employers are not out there seeking hard workers. So get an education in a field where good effort is expected and the wages rise. Wage always is tied to productivity.

 

[danielpalos]

depends on the argument.

we should raise the minimum wage to raise tax revenue.

So your "solution" to increasing tax revenue is to artificially raise wages across the board which will by necessity also increase the cost of goods and services across the board which means the average American will be no better off than they were before but many young people and those without many job skills will probably be unable to find an entry level job.

Do yourself a favor, Daniel...there is a very fine economic text book by Thomas Sowell that explains EXACTLY why a minimum wage is counter productive! Read it so you have a clue what it is that you're talking about!

inflation happens. it won't be a one to one ratio. don't worry. and, higher paid labor pays more in taxes and creates more in demand. only the right wing, never gets it.

Inflation DOES happen! Especially when you increase wages artificially. So explain to me what the benefit to the average American is, if you increase his wages...which not only increases the cost of all of the goods and services he buys...but also buts him into a higher tax bracket so that he owes more in taxes?

Why would THAT increase demand? You'd be decreasing spendable income and that would decrease demand. You need to seriously study this subject before you make a bigger fool of yourself than you already have!

you don't know what you are talking about. it is a cost of living adjustment so that Labor can afford our First World economy. Henry Ford knew what it was about, the right wing doesn't. coincidence or conspiracy?

How is the decision Henry Ford made to pay his workers more money ANYTHING like your call for artificially inflating wages? Ford decided to pay his workers more money because he was losing workers over the monotony of working on an assembly line. He didn't do it because he wanted to give his workers a cost of living increase it was strictly a business decision based on what he thought HE needed to spend to retain workers! Your example of Ford proves that free markets CAN and SHOULD determine wages!

You still haven't explained how it is that you're going to keep inflation from totally wiping out the spending power of any wage increases that you mandate.

inflation is not a one to one ratio. less than five percent inflation is expected. only the right wing likes to make up stories and allege they are for the "gospel Truth".

 

[danielpalos]

inflation happens. it won't be a one to one ratio. don't worry. and, higher paid labor pays more in taxes and creates more in demand. only the right wing, never gets it.

Inflation DOES happen! Especially when you increase wages artificially. So explain to me what the benefit to the average American is, if you increase his wages...which not only increases the cost of all of the goods and services he buys...but also buts him into a higher tax bracket so that he owes more in taxes?

Why would THAT increase demand? You'd be decreasing spendable income and that would decrease demand. You need to seriously study this subject before you make a bigger fool of yourself than you already have!

First off, for every dollar of minimum wage increase, the cost of producing a hamburger goes up 10 cents, so yes, prices go up but labour is only a small percentage of the total cost, and so the price shouldn't go up all that much. Our provincial minimum wage went up $3 per hour to $14 this year. I haven't noticed any huge increases in prices in restaurants or stores, but those making minimum wage are now making $480 a month more, based on a 40 hour work week.

Friends tell me that the kids making minimum wage are spending that money as fast as they make it, and those kids are now buying more consumer goods than they could afford before this raise. In order to have growth, you need both supply and demand.

First off, for every dollar of minimum wage increase, the cost of producing a hamburger goes up 10 cents, so yes, prices go up but labour is only a small percentage of the total cost

You think labor is only 10% of the expense of a fast food restaurant?

The INCREASE of the cost is less than 10% because the cost of his wage is already included his original salary. If you can't figure out the calculation, you have no business whatsoever, commenting on economics.

Raising fast-food hourly wages to $15 would raise prices by 4%, study finds

I have a HUGE problem with the study cited, Dragonlady! Their calculations are based on only raising the minimum wage of employees working in a restaurant to $15 and totally ignore what would happen if that were to happen!

Explain to me how you would feel if you had been working at said restaurant for several years...gaining job skills and several pay raises...raises that had brought your wages to the $15 level that entry level employees are now getting. Are you going to be content to make the same as the newbies? Or are you going to expect to be paid as much more than them NOW as you were BEFORE?

Now tell me what the supervisor who makes even more is going to want to compensate THEM accordingly!

Now do that for every single purveyor that supplies food, beverages, linens, trash removal, or cleaning services as all of their entry level employees get wage bumps and all of their more experienced workers demand more to make up the difference!

Gravity Payments still supports a thirty-five dollar an hour wage. The right wing is all hearsay and soothsay.

 

[danielpalos]

I mean let's be serious here...it's almost a given that if you're working full time at an entry level job...then you're going to struggle to pay rent on an apartment, keep a used car on the road and perhaps have some money left over to take some kind of vacation. Buying a house, a car and taking vacations are not something that has EVER fallen under the heading of a basic standard of living! Why should it now?

Exactly. Now that I've lived in Phoenix long enough to have a good idea of which areas I do and don't want to live in, I have a long-term goal of buying a house. Obviously, I need to save up money for a down payment. (I know, that probably sounds like crazy talk to leftists, earning and saving my own money over a long period in order to get what I want.) Thing is, while my husband and I make decent money at our jobs and put money aside in savings with every check, it's slow going. I would really like it if I could increase my income so that I can save the money faster.

Now, if I were a leftist, I would march around demanding that the government force my employer to give me more money. How DARE he pay me according to what my job is worth to his business, instead of according to what I want to have? Because I'm not a leftist, I'm doing this crazy thing where I'm going to classes online to earn a certification which will qualify me for jobs that pay more than I get now. (Again, I know this sounds incomprehensible to leftists, making a plan to improve my life and executing it out of my own pocket and my own efforts without any help from the government.)

you can find side jobs that pay via PayPal on YouTube.

 

[Dragonlady]

inflation happens. it won't be a one to one ratio. don't worry. and, higher paid labor pays more in taxes and creates more in demand. only the right wing, never gets it.

Inflation DOES happen! Especially when you increase wages artificially. So explain to me what the benefit to the average American is, if you increase his wages...which not only increases the cost of all of the goods and services he buys...but also buts him into a higher tax bracket so that he owes more in taxes?

Why would THAT increase demand? You'd be decreasing spendable income and that would decrease demand. You need to seriously study this subject before you make a bigger fool of yourself than you already have!

First off, for every dollar of minimum wage increase, the cost of producing a hamburger goes up 10 cents, so yes, prices go up but labour is only a small percentage of the total cost, and so the price shouldn't go up all that much. Our provincial minimum wage went up $3 per hour to $14 this year. I haven't noticed any huge increases in prices in restaurants or stores, but those making minimum wage are now making $480 a month more, based on a 40 hour work week.

Friends tell me that the kids making minimum wage are spending that money as fast as they make it, and those kids are now buying more consumer goods than they could afford before this raise. In order to have growth, you need both supply and demand.

I think you need to research the food industry if you think that labor is only a small percentage of cost. It isn't. Generally speaking it's the largest cost by far...somewhere in the 30% range.

My parents owned a successful restaurant. I've worked in restaurants. Half of my family either owns or works in restaurants. I also worked in banking where I had to learn the cost ratios of various businesses, including restaurants. Labour costs in restaurants are 25 to 35% of gross sales depending on the type of restaurant. Fast food - 25%, high end with table service - 35%. So if we give the staff a 25% raise, the costs will increase by just over 6% at most. Would you pay 6% more for a Big Mac, if you knew the staff were no longer going to qualify for food stamps, Section 8, or earned income credits. I sure as hell would.

In a perfect world perhaps.

People who are on the dole find ways of staying there. Free money! Increase minimum wage, and you'll find employees working less hours. That's all you would accomplish.

Some of our customers use temporary employment services. Many of these temps are on some form of government assistance. When these companies ask the temps to work overtime, most of them refuse. As far as they are concerned, it's like working for free since more income means less benefits.

If you know any American business owners, ask them what it actually costs the company if they give an employee two dollars an hour more. It costs employers more because they have to pay for more workman's compensation insurance, more unemployment insurance, doubling the Medicare and Social Security contributions for each employee, a higher payout when those workers are on vacation or a paid holiday. It costs employers much more than the two bucks an hour.

People "on the dole" have few way of getting off the dole. If you have to work two full time jobs to keep a roof over your head, how to you go back to school, or get training for advancement? There are more and more people striving for fewer and fewer middle class jobs, so the changes of "moving up" are seriously restricted.

I have never met a single person in my life who has said "I want to live on welfare for my entire life, and have nothing", and I doubt you have either. That's a lie conservatives tell one another to look down on the poor, and blame them. like the I've been through period of being broke and unemployed, and it hard to get back on my feet again financially. Life is much easier and less stressful when you don\'t have to decide between paying the electricity bill or the rent.

Republicans work very hard to keep poor people poor. They refuse to raise the minimum wage, and force the middle class to subsidize wages through Earned Income Credits. The children of the poor get a substandard education in run down poorly equipped schools, that in now way prepares them for college or the work world. The USA has all but put the finishing touches on a permanent underclass of uneducated poor people who aren't equipped or qualified to work in today's economy, and then you blame them for being a drain on society.

There's a wonderful concept for the wealthy if ever there was one. We won't pay you a living wage. We'll just pocket these record profits and let the middle class give you a chunk of THEIR taxes. As a bonus, we get to call you lot lazy, "takers" and blame you for their high taxes. Win/win for me, and fuck you too!