Minimum Wage

I was wondering how many people on this forum are working for minimum wage and if so, how old they are. I'm not familiar enough with the labor laws in other countries but assume that there are minimum wages there as well. In the US, the federal minimum wage is $5.85 but most states have laws that require employers to pay more.

My experience is that teenagers with part time jobs earn minimum wage but most other hourly workers make more than the minimum but my experience is limited to a few states in the midwest, south, and Alaska.

Don't work for the sweatshops or slave-shops. An average worker, no matter what kind of job you do, should get paid at least $16 per hour.

[quote=avg_joe;961241]Don't work for the sweatshops or slave-shops. You think people who work in substandard conditions for minimal pay had a real choice? ROTFLMAO An average worker, no matter what kind of job you do, should get paid at least $16 per hour. That's a nice pipe dream


Are you completely daft?!?!?! $16 an hour is not what the average worker in the United States earns. Where did you come up with such a random figure? Are you familiar with the term working poor?

Dear sweet child, you need to take your head out of your behind and read this entire thread.

I'm payed on salary. I was just curious if there are many people actually earning a minimum wage (in the USA). My gut feeling is that most people earn more than the minimum.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zgrog2000 I'm payed on salary. I was just curious if there are many people actually earning a minimum wage (in the USA). My gut feeling is that most people earn more than the minimum.

That may well be true for the participnts of this site. However, that does not mean that they are earning a living wage. At my last job I earned an okay annual salary which worked out to $38.04 an hour. Not bad until you calculate in $11,300 a year, $2800 a year for car insurance, and over $100K in student loans. I barely eked out an existence.

No arguement. I'm not stating that minimum wage is a living wage and as you know, a living wage varies from place to place. Politicians like to tell you that they raised the minimum wage. My thought is "big fucking deal, most people already earn above the federal minimum wage."

Does the average American usually classify roughly 76000$ as an "Ok annual salary?"

That seems pretty decent for one person to make a year. Yes, I suppose the US government does end up with almost half, so when you factor that in, yah, you really aren't taking home much in the end.

[quote=jeff black;961273]Does the average American usually classify roughly 76000$ as an "Ok annual salary?" Actually in USD it was $69,230. I can't put my hands on a check stub right now but off the top of each biweekly pay check: minus 28% for federal taxes, minus my portion of medical & dental benefits ($220), minus union fee ($45), minus FICA.
That seems pretty decent for one person to make a year. Yes, I suppose the US government does end up with almost half, so when you factor that in, yah, you really aren't taking home much in the end. Yup, sucks to be me


My darling Jeffy, you should know by now that there is little if anything average about me. I am pretty much the anomaly wherever I go.

This is a classic example of the "I barely make enough to get by" bs instead of people living to their means.

People give doctors crap for making as much money as they do, but guess what, many just " barely eke by". Those people that make millions of dollars per year, also just barely eke by as well.

The fact of the matter is, when people make more money the money the spend increases (often at a greater percentage than what they make).

Point is, maybe if your making 38 bucks an hour and hauling in 70 grand per year and having problems getting buy you should evaulate how your spending money. Granted you might be living in a location such as a big city where inflation is much greater than the rest of the country. :) If it makes your feel better i'm sure theres hundreds and hundreds of millions of people in this world that would love to have your living wage!

If this topic really interests you, I am sure you can find tons of info simply by googling or checking the web site of the United States Federal Department of Labor Statistics and possibly also the Commerce Department's web site.

That less than $6 minimum wage seems really low. That's less than £3 an hour. I don't know my rate of pay (hasn't been negotiated yet) but I got £150 for three day's work

Some of it is still ongoing though hehe. Got a survey to finish today.

Anyway, minimum wage here is I think £5.35 for adults and around £4 for 16-21's. Which is $10.70 and $8 ish respectively.

I hope things are really inexpensive in America if that's the minimum wage.

[quote=TheBeast;961302]This is a classic example of the "I barely make enough to get by" bs instead of people living to their means.

Point is, maybe if your making 38 bucks an hour and hauling in 70 grand per year and having problems getting buy you should evaulate how your spending money. Granted you might be living in a location such as a big city where inflation is much greater than the rest of the country. :) If it makes your feel better i'm sure theres hundreds and hundreds of millions of people in this world that would love to have your living wage!


Why bless your heart.

[quote=TheBeast;961302]This is a classic example of the "I barely make enough to get by" bs instead of people living to their means. You're 21 what the heck do you know about the world! ? I was living in New Jersey when I was earning that salary. You live in podunk where that kind of salary would have you living high off the hog.
People give doctors crap for making as much money as they do, but guess what, many just " barely eke by". Those people that make millions of dollars per year, also just barely eke by as well. Hmm, fuck you and the pink pony you rode in on. The fact of the matter is, when people make more money the money the spend increases (often at a greater percentage than what they make). That's true but not for me.
Point is, maybe if your making 38 bucks an hour and hauling in 70 grand per year and having problems getting buy you should evaulate how your spending money. Oh yeah, I'm gonna take financial advice from a kid half my age. ROTFLMAO Not that it's the business of a wet behind the ears, snot nosed kid; but I live very frugally. I clip coupons, go to garage sales, and flea markets; and I paid cash for my last car which was pre-owned. I could have purchased a new car and financed it but I didn't want to incur unneccessary debt. Also, my car insurance would have been astronomical. Yes, I took that into consideration. In addition, and I must admit I am quite proud of this, I have no credit card debt. That's right, $0 do I owe to any credit card company. Not many Americans in my age bracket (40+) can say that.

You and JeffBlack conveniently skipped over this part: Not bad until you calculate in rent @ $11,300 a year, $2800 a year for car insurance, and over $100,000.00 in student loans.

Unlike many on this site my parents did not pay for my college education. They demanded that I go to college; yet made no financial arrangements to that end. I have no choice but to live frugally. On the off chance Social Security is still around when I am 67 and I am able to collect what I have paid into the system over the years I will still have 4 more years of student loans to pay off after I retire.

Am I bitter? Yes and no. I still hold some resentment towards my parents for literally not saving a dime for my college education; but I am ever so glad I perservered and obtained advanced degrees so that I could earn that salary.

Granted you might be living in a location such as a big city where inflation is much greater than the rest of the country. :) Pay attention kiddo, the NJ, in njqt466 stands for New Jersey. NJ is the most expensive state, in the union, in which to live. If it makes your feel better i'm sure theres hundreds and hundreds of millions of people in this world that would love to have your living wage! I know for fact there are, I am not unintelligent.

Just a few things you need to know:

• New Jersey is the only state where all of its counties are classified as metropolitan areas.
• New Jersey has more race horses than Kentucky.
• New Jersey has more Cubans in Union City (1 sq. mi.) than Havana, Cuba.
• New Jersey has the densest system of highways and railroads in the US.
• New Jersey has the highest cost of living.
• New Jersey has the highest cost of auto insurance.
• New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the nation.
• New Jersey has the most diners in the world and is sometimes referred to as the Diner Capital of the World
• North Jersey has the most shopping malls in one area in the world, with seven major shopping malls in a 25 square mile radius.
• New Jersey is home to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
• The Passaic River was the site of the first submarine ride by inventor John P. Holland.
• New Jersey has 50+ resort cities & towns, some of the nations' most famous: Asbury Park, Wildwood, Atlantic City, Seaside Heights, Long Branch and Cape May.
• New Jersey has the most stringent testing along our coastline for water quality control than any other seaboard state in the entire country.
• New Jersey is a leading technology & industrial state and is the largest chemical producing state in the nation when you include pharmaceuticals.
• Jersey tomatoes are known the world over as being the best you can buy.
• New Jersey is the world leader in blueberry and cranberry production.
• The famous Les Paul invented the first solid body electric guitar in Mahwah in 1940. We totally rock!
• New Jersey is a major seaport state with the largest seaport in the US, located in Elizabeth. Nearly 80% of what our nation imports comes through Elizabeth Seaport first.
• The light bulb, phonograph, and motion picture projector, were invented by Thomas Edison in his Menlo Park, NJ laboratory.
• The first town ever lit by incandescent bulbs was in NJ.
• The first seaplane was built in Keyport, NJ.
• The first airmail (to Chicago) was started from Keyport, NJ.
• The first phonograph records were made in Camden, NJ.
• The game Monopoly, played all over the world, named the streets on their playing board after the actual streets in Atlantic City.
• And, Atlantic City has the longest boardwalk in the world.
• New Jersey has the largest petroleum containment area outside of the Middle East countries.
• The first Indian reservation was in New Jersey.
• New Jersey has the tallest water-tower in the world.
• New Jersey had the first Medical Center, in Jersey City.
• The Pulaski SkyWay, from Jersey City to Newark, was the first skyway highway. I will concede that this is not worth bragging about as it was poorly planned and is one of the scariest highways I have ever driven.
• New Jersey is home to both of "NEW YORK'S " ProFootball Teams.
• The first radio station and broadcast was in Paterson, NJ.

[quote=njqt466;961251]

Quote:

Originally Posted by avg_joe Don't work for the sweatshops or slave-shops. You think people who work in substandard conditions for minimal pay had a real choice? ROTFLMAO An average worker, no matter what kind of job you do, should get paid at least $16 per hour. That's a nice pipe dream

Sorry sweetie, you are the one who should read more carefully! The poster said they SHOULD make 16.00 Not that they do make that much. try reading the whole post before you jump down some ones throat.
bless your pointy lil head
K/

Now your lessons been taught. BUH-BYE