We need to stop looking at minimum wage as a set number across the country, It creates a wage disparity for the working class. A livable wage in Alabama would not be a livable wage in California, a livable wage in California would be an insane wage in a place like Alabama.
The minimum wage needs to be directly tied with median housing costs either at the state level or at the county level. The wage needs to be set where housing would only comprise of a max of 30% of income. So at 30% if the median rent is $2000 per month, the livable wage in that area would be set at about $6700 a month, or about $42 an hour. This would help control housing costs as well as keep wages livable.
Suppose that happens. What’s stopping the landlords from just raising their rents then? Can the government control housing costs? Is it even possible in a “free” economy?
I don’t know if tying it to something that’s inflated above core inflation is a good idea. I think the better approach is to reduce the cost of housing.
The median required minimum livable wage in California for a single person with no children, according to MIT living wage calculator is $27.32
Even if it does get increased to $18, it’s not livable.
It’s probably more realistically possible to put some rent caps in than implement $42/hr minimum wage. Virtually all minimum wage employees would be laid off with all the businesses who employ them shutting down too. The only businesses that could survive that much dramatic increase in payroll costs would be the ones making really huge profits, which would almost certainly not include every restaurant in most cities.
You should have gone to school, you could’ve learned a trade But you laid in the bed where the bums have laid Now all the time you’re crying that you’re underpaid It’s like that (what?) and that’s the way it is Huh!
Implying that laziness is the only possible cause for being on minimum wage isn’t truth.
It’s a BIG factor…poor academic attainment is the driving force behind the majority of minimum wage jobs. If you’re smart and have drive you don’t work for $7 p/h.
…IN… AMERICA.
do you people really forget about the other 200 nations?
If you’re going to be pedantic, at least be correct. America is an entire continent, with over 30 countries. You’re referring only to the United States of America, a single country.
I mean it’s NPR: an American public radio news outfit.
Why the fuck would they be concerned with the minimum wage in Tanzania?
Strike that, that’s actually precisely something NPR would probably cover lol.
So put it in the post that it’s only for that country? Lol
American exceptionalism at its best!
No
I don’t ask for articles about German politics to specifically say it’s about Germany, usually the German gives that away.
Your inability to pick up on context clues does not entitle you to compensation by everyone else.
For reference, the cost of living doubles every 25 to 30 years. $7.25 in 2024 is worth less than $5 in 2009 money. Less than the $5.15 that was the previous minimum wage.
For the love of god, increase it to something reasonable then implement yearly increases based on inflation so that I never have to hear about this again.
This or tie it to the average government wage of a member of Congress, they get a raise and the people get a raise.
CT actually does the annual increase based on inflation thing. It’s at $15.60-something currently I believe. It can be done.
