Thoughts on $15 hour minimum wage in US?

[Lamb]

Is it working? Should it be working? If no, then what would work better?

 

[tango]

Is it working? Should it be working? If no, then what would work better?

I guess it depends on how you define "working".

Ultimately if the cost of labor rises then the cost of the finished product rises, people buy less product, which in turn hurts those who made the product in the first place.

One question that might be worth considering is whether it's better to have three people employed for $10/hour, or two people employed for $15/hour and the third on welfare. Obviously if you're one of the two then the $15 wage is good, it's not so great if you're the third guy who can't get a job because the brutal truth is that you can never provide $15/hour of value to an employer.

 

[Ruth]

I'm all for it!!!

 

[psalms 91]

I think long overdue

 

[Hammster]

Is it working? Should it be working? If no, then what would work better?

It's a terrible idea. It completely ignores the reason why businesses are in business...to make money. It basically tells business owners that they are in business solely to provide a "livable wage" to society, regardless of skills.


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[MoreCoffee]

Is it working? Should it be working? If no, then what would work better?

The minimum wage in Australia is over $16/hour and our country works well. I don't see why $15/hour is so contentious for the USA.

 

[Hammster]

The minimum wage in Australia is over $16/hour and our country works well. I don't see why $15/hour is so contentious for the USA.

What sort of extras do the businesses pay over there compared to here?


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[MoreCoffee]

What sort of extras do the businesses pay over there compared to here?


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Extras?

We have a different kind of 'social security' (we call it superannuation) and it is paid at about 10% of the gross wage of a worker.

 

[Hammster]

Extras?

We have a different kind of 'social security' (we call it superannuation) and it is paid at about 10% of the gross wage of a worker.

And that's it? How about unemployment insurance?


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[MoreCoffee]

And that's it? How about unemployment insurance?


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We do not have unemployment insurance. Unemployment benefits are paid out of general revenue - tax money. They have no limit on duration. Australia works differently from the USA on some matters.

 

[Hammster]

Every year when my company sends out our W-2s (the form we use that shows out wages for the for tax filing purposes), they include an extra sheet that shows what it costs to employ us. Things from state and federal taxes, insurance, etc. are included. It always comes out to about 25000 more than I make. This is the "income" I earn that I don't actually see. This doesn't include paying wages for the non-producing (support) personnel, equipment, parts, repairs, etc.

There's more to running a company than just paying someone their wages.


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[Hammster]

We do not have unemployment insurance. Unemployment benefits are paid out of general revenue - tax money. They have no limit set on duration. Australia works differently from the USA on some matters.

Okay. So you can't say because Australia does something then it should work here.


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[MoreCoffee]

Every year when my company sends out our W-2s (the form we use that shows out wages for the for tax filing purposes), they include an extra sheet that shows what it costs to employ us. Things from state and federal taxes, insurance, etc. are included. It always comes out to about 25000 more than I make. This is the "income" I earn that I don't actually see. This doesn't include paying wages for the non-producing (support) personnel, equipment, parts, repairs, etc.

There's more to running a company than just paying someone their wages.


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How does that impact on a $15.hour minimum wage? Is it bad to have $15.hour?

 

[Hammster]

How does that impact on a $15.hour minimum wage? Is it bad to have $15.hour?

It impacts it because money doesn't grow on trees. It has to come from somewhere.


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[psalms 91]

The argument that fewer jobs and disaster for businesses has been used every time minimum wage was discussed as being raised and of course the sky didnt fall when it was raised. People need to be able to live and eat and I see nothing wrong with forcing companies to provide that for work that profits them. If we listened to the naysayers we would still have a 2 dollar minimum wage.

 

[MoreCoffee]

It impacts it because money doesn't grow on trees. It has to come from somewhere.


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Pay $0 per hour then. I don't see how a cleche like "money doesn't grow on trees" answers the issue of setting a minimum wage at $15/hour.

 

[MoreCoffee]

The argument that fewer jobs and disaster for businesses has been used every time minimum wage was discussed as being raised and of course the sky didnt fall when it was raised. People need to be able to live and eat and I see nothing wrong with forcing companies to provide that for work that profits them. If we listened to the naysayers we would still have a 2 dollar minimum wage.

Yes, in Australia the case put forward by employers' organisations is always "the sky is falling" sort of thing if even one cent is added to the minimum wage and they always fail to win their argument and the minimum wage always rises and the country keeps going.

 

[Hammster]

Pay $0 per hour then. I don't see how a cleche like "money doesn't grow on trees" answers the issue of setting a minimum wage at $15/hour.

Okay, why stop at 15? Why not 100?


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[Hammster]

The argument that fewer jobs and disaster for businesses has been used every time minimum wage was discussed as being raised and of course the sky didnt fall when it was raised. People need to be able to live and eat and I see nothing wrong with forcing companies to provide that for work that profits them. If we listened to the naysayers we would still have a 2 dollar minimum wage.

They already do provide for work that profits them. And we should have no minimum wage. I seem to be doing fine without it.


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[MoreCoffee]

Okay, why stop at 15? Why not 100?


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Because $15 is supposed to be the minimum wage, not the average wage.