Should minimum wage be increased?

[Imabigmac]

British Columbia (Canada) raised the minimum wage from $8 to $10.25, everyone complained and said "oh it will cost more and people will get laid off. Well it has had no noticeable affect, employers are stilling willing to pay the wages and yes there is less money being made by the owners of companies the employees still spread it around. 

[_ASSASSIN_]

I mean, they could put in more care for the employees... some firms are doing it right, while the others aren't. We are humans, after all.

to a corporation everything is just numbers from how distant they are from the one operation in new delhi by 2 people by the CEO in New York with the CHAIN of people that tell him progress on the company

[dizmo]

Being a waiter or working at the fryer at Mcdonalds shouldn't be a career. They shouldn't make more than other jobs than require higher skills. 

Some people make it a very successful career, and as others have pointed out someone has to do it.

 

except people that don't have a proper education at least deserve to not be in poverty, and be able to support a child that can get them out of the poverty cycle and chooses a proper education, I'm just saying.

Education doesn't always equate to wealth. A lot of very, very successful people have no formal education at all.

It helps in most situations, yes. Depends what sector you're trying to get into.

 

Let's cut military wages like the Dems have done and pay more to illegals or Dropouts!I mean it did wonders for Detroit right?

School isn't for everyone. Illegals work a lot of jobs that regular US citizens simply refuse to, which is also something to consider.

 

I worked at Mc D's for 4 months, everyone there made more than minimum wage, and we never had to deposit all of our pay onto cards, we got checks to cash out at the bank. Also, my uncle is a manager at 2 mc donalds and owns one, also making over $89k a year.

Depends on the region, for sure as you've mentioned.

In AB you can make $14/hr working at a fast food joint. It's really not bad.

Manages, of course, make a large amount because you have to deal with a lot of kids and let's be honest that's stressful. They just don't give a fuck.

 

Working at McDonalds pays lower than minimum wage, they make the employees deposit all of their pay on cards and charge a fee for depositing, withdrawing, and using the card in general. It's also not to make it a career, but it's to be able to support yourself so you can actually make a life for yourself and go to college. As it stands you need at least 2 jobs to support yourself on minimum wage.

I don't know where you are but that doesn't seem legal. You can't make less than minimum wage, that's why it's called a minimum.

 

 

I think it depends where you live, as to whether or not it should be raised. A lot of people here are from different regions, so it's not really an equal argument.

In BC they're going to rally and try to raise the minimum wage to $13/hr from $10.25, as well as asking for a yearly cost of living increase. I hope it goes through.

 

One thing you guys are forgetting, that it helps out the entire economy. The more people make, the more they'll spend.

In the end, everyone wins, even if the impact is not immediate.

[mr moose]

I mean, they could put in more care for the employees... some firms are doing it right, while the others aren't. We are humans, after all.

this is true, but I have also found that the more a government legislates what employers must pay, the harder it becomes for firms to dynamical control their workforce and thus business has a higher rate of bankruptcy,  In Australia the minimum wage is set fairly high and as a result cafes and coffee shops are high a turnover business that struggle to remain viable.  Same with many small business startups which has a stupidly high failure rate that has been linked to the extremely high cost of employing staff.   I'm not saying we shouldn't increase minimum, just that there are also repercussions of that that people should be aware of.

[James_AJ]

this is true, but I have also found that the more a government legislates what employers must pay, the harder it becomes for firms to dynamical control their workforce and thus business has a higher rate of bankruptcy,  In Australia the minimum wage is set fairly high and as a result cafes and coffee shops are high a turnover business that struggle to remain viable.  Same with many small business startups which has a stupidly high failure rate that has been linked to the extremely high cost of employing staff.   I'm not saying we shouldn't increase minimum, just that there are also repercussions of that that people should be aware of.

I'm not talking about raising the minimum wage here. See my original post in this thread (I think it's in page 1). And yes I am painfully aware of the "side-effects"

[_ASSASSIN_]

Education doesn't always equate to wealth. A lot of very, very successful people have no formal education at all.

It helps in most situations, yes. Depends what sector you're trying to get into.

I'm just saying that many people who work fastfood jobs and are in their 30's are most likely uneducated and unskilled .

[mr moose]

I'm not talking about raising the minimum wage here. See my original post in this thread (I think it's in page 1). And yes I am painfully aware of the "side-effects"

 

Yeah, sorry I sorta was agreeing but then I trailed off,  I didn't mean to direct all that at you.

[CCap]

Something I think you all need to understand is that it is required BY LAW to attend high school until the age of 16 (on average, each state is different, but this is the lowest). Claiming that "Not everybody has the same opportunity to get an education" is irrelevant. If they want a career then they can take out a student loan and goto the local community college for four years and get an entry level job in retail or whatever they decided they wanted to do in college. If you work really hard at your job, you will get promoted. Do you know what happens when you get promoted? That's right, you get a pay raise.

 

Getting a job at McDonalds for being a Frycook isn't really designed to turn into a career as you get older. It usually is something that you do when you need some extra money in a tight fix, or are like me, and are still attending school, so it is something to do to make a little cash on the side. Are you going to try to tell me that a 14 year old should be payed more than 8 dollars an hour for flipping a few burgers? Not all cases are as easy as flipping burgers, but you have to consider things like this.

[ohJey]

We shouldn't have a minimum wage.  I agree that the military should be reduced, but everyone gets butthurt when you start talking about cutting the military.

[Hans Christian | Teri]

*Narrator voice* In a land where actually being successful makes you a greedy bad guy

 

Really though, I'm form Denmark and I think your minimum wage is just fine. Yes the minimum wage here is about twice the amount but we also pay more than double the tax and right around double the living expenses (depending on region of course). We may earn a lot more money on paper, but at the end of the day we have around the same buying power.

[_ASSASSIN_]

Something I think you all need to understand is that it is required BY LAW to attend high school until the age of 16 (on average, each state is different, but this is the lowest). Claiming that "Not everybody has the same opportunity to get an education" is irrelevant. If they want a career then they can take out a student loan and goto the local community college for four years and get an entry level job in retail or whatever they decided they wanted to do in college. If you work really hard at your job, you will get promoted. Do you know what happens when you get promoted? That's right, you get a pay raise.

 

Getting a job at McDonalds for being a Frycook isn't really designed to turn into a career as you get older. It usually is something that you do when you need some extra money in a tight fix, or are like me, and are still attending school, so it is something to do to make a little cash on the side. Are you going to try to tell me that a 14 year old should be payed more than 8 dollars an hour for flipping a few burgers? Not all cases are as easy as flipping burgers, but you have to consider things like this.

Who cares though, because they don't, look in a poorer community and you will see a drastic change in living standard, and most likely quality of schools in the area. No one has the same opportunity in life. 

[_ASSASSIN_]

Let's cut military wages like the Dems have done and pay more to illegals or Dropouts!I mean it did wonders for Detroit right? The poor have only gotten poorer since Obama. More handouts equals less people willing to work..

oh yes cut the miliatry I don't see why we have to be the world's police. We invade every country that hates us to "help" them lol.

[dizmo]

I'm just saying that many people who work fastfood jobs and are in their 30's are most likely uneducated and unskilled .

Or it could be a second job to get money, or they could work there as a stress free guaranteed income to supplement a home business.

It's not as cut and dry as what you're trying to make it.

Haha, did you know a lot of immigrants that work at a fast food place are probably extremely well educated? I've worked with research scientists, doctors, ex special forces commandos...while in retail.

They're there because they either can't get a job in their field without certification, or various other reasons.

 

I gotta say it's nice to see someone who can quote only what pertains to them in the post, not the the entire thing Thank you, sir.

[dalekphalm]

Something I think you all need to understand is that it is required BY LAW to attend high school until the age of 16 (on average, each state is different, but this is the lowest). Claiming that "Not everybody has the same opportunity to get an education" is irrelevant. If they want a career then they can take out a student loan and goto the local community college for four years and get an entry level job in retail or whatever they decided they wanted to do in college. If you work really hard at your job, you will get promoted. Do you know what happens when you get promoted? That's right, you get a pay raise.

 

Getting a job at McDonalds for being a Frycook isn't really designed to turn into a career as you get older. It usually is something that you do when you need some extra money in a tight fix, or are like me, and are still attending school, so it is something to do to make a little cash on the side. Are you going to try to tell me that a 14 year old should be payed more than 8 dollars an hour for flipping a few burgers? Not all cases are as easy as flipping burgers, but you have to consider things like this.

A note here: in Ontario at least, the minimum wage for minors (Those under the age of 18) is LESS than that of an Adult. Which of course makes perfect sense, and sort of makes your comment about a 14 year old making too much irrelevant. Mind you, this is for Ontario. Your location may be different.

 

The problem with everyone saying that "Oh you should just get an education" is that:

 

1. Not everyone can be an engineer, or a doctor, or a technician, etc. Some people have aptitude for skilled technical jobs, some don't.

 

2. More importantly, if everyone goes to College and gets educated, then who is going to work at McDonalds, or Wal-Mart, or any other "menial" low paid job? A LOT of immigrant workers (illegal or otherwise) work the shitty jobs that most people don't want to work, and then people bitch and moan about jobs lost to immigrants.

 

If you want to live in a Capitalist/western/modern society, then SOMEONE has to work the shitty jobs. How do you propose we solve this if everyone should go to College instead of working at McDonalds?

[James_AJ]

I just want to point out that there are a lot of well-fed people in this thread (not surprising considering this is a gaming community) but the level of "wtf-ness" is off the charts. It's almost as if *cough* people don't know what it's like to be poor, what it's like to live in the impoverished part of town, what it's like to get stuck at the bottom of the social pyramid where no one in the government listens to you.

[_ASSASSIN_]

Or it could be a second job to get money, or they could work there as a stress free guaranteed income to supplement a home business.

It's not as cut and dry as what you're trying to make it.

Haha, did you know a lot of immigrants that work at a fast food place are probably extremely well educated? I've worked with research scientists, doctors, ex special forces commandos...while in retail.

They're there because they either can't get a job in their field without certification, or various other reasons.

 

I gotta say it's nice to see someone who can quote only what pertains to them in the post, not the the entire thing Thank you, sir.

that was rude. I'm sorry I didn't see it that way too but jesus christ you don't act like that.

[Imabigmac]

Something I think you all need to understand is that it is required BY LAW to attend high school until the age of 16 (on average, each state is different, but this is the lowest). Claiming that "Not everybody has the same opportunity to get an education" is irrelevant. If they want a career then they can take out a student loan and goto the local community college for four years and get an entry level job in retail or whatever they decided they wanted to do in college. If you work really hard at your job, you will get promoted. Do you know what happens when you get promoted? That's right, you get a pay raise.

 

Getting a job at McDonalds for being a Frycook isn't really designed to turn into a career as you get older. It usually is something that you do when you need some extra money in a tight fix, or are like me, and are still attending school, so it is something to do to make a little cash on the side. Are you going to try to tell me that a 14 year old should be payed more than 8 dollars an hour for flipping a few burgers? Not all cases are as easy as flipping burgers, but you have to consider things like this.

I get paid $12/hr to pump gas in the summer and sweep and clean outdoor stuff on the weekends in the winter. I'm 16 so yeah. 

[dizmo]

that was rude. I'm sorry I didn't see it that way too but jesus christ you don't act like that.

Haha, how is it rude to point out a good point?

[pit5000]

i personally think it should be slightly higher, then pegged to inflation.

 

there will be some short-term slow down in hiring, yes, but the increased compensation will lead to an increase to spending. in most markets, the employers will get some of that money back.

overall who gets some of that money back is the question. it really depends on the spending habits of those workers effected. If those extra wages are used to pay off debt instead of new goods/services then there is no economic benefit and in some markets such as essential or common commodities, they could suffer in the short- and mid-term. Luxury item markets can handle the slight hit in the margins. If these new wages are used for new purchases, then all should be well in the long term.

 

despite all this all about wealth inequality, the sad reality is that being poor is relative.

example:

if $20000 is the poverty line and government mandated a $10000 increase in everybody's pay, the new poverty line will simply be $30000. People will make more money but will still be considered poor because he is still near the bottom and still has to chase everybody else above

[dizmo]

I get paid $12/hr to pump gas in the summer and sweep and clean outdoor stuff on the weekends in the winter. 

When I was 18 I worked at a gas station in Alberta. I made $8/hr/60hrs a week at the time, and about $80/night in tips.

It was awesome. I made a killing. People who shit on jobs like that don't realize how much that person might actually be making.

[pit5000]

amazon fresh and other grocery delivery drivers make $300 in tips on average per day

[dizmo]

despite all this all about wealth inequality, the sad reality is that being poor is relative.

example:

if $20000 is the poverty line and government mandated a $10000 increase in everybody's pay, the new poverty line will simply be $30000. People will make more money but will still be considered poor because he is still near the bottom and still has to chase everybody else above

A majority of what you said made sense except this last bit. Just because they make $10,000 more, doesn't mean the poverty line is raised.

It's hugely based on the cost of goods and services. If they have a lot more disposable income, then they are above the poverty line.

A poverty threshold is basically what it costs to live comfortably. In a very watered down version.

[MatheusSanzo]

Maybe.

[CCap]

A note here: in Ontario at least, the minimum wage for minors (Those under the age of 18) is LESS than that of an Adult. Which of course makes perfect sense, and sort of makes your comment about a 14 year old making too much irrelevant. Mind you, this is for Ontario. Your location may be different.

I'm in the 'States, Florida to be more precise.

 

The problem with everyone saying that "Oh you should just get an education" is that:

 

1. Not everyone can be an engineer, or a doctor, or a technician, etc. Some people have aptitude for skilled technical jobs, some don't.

I'm by no means implying that everybody should be a doctor or an engineer. All I am trying to get at is that they could get a much better job than working at McDonalds. 

 

 

2. More importantly, if everyone goes to College and gets educated, then who is going to work at McDonalds, or Wal-Mart, or any other "menial" low paid job? A LOT of immigrant workers (illegal or otherwise) work the shitty jobs that most people don't want to work, and then people bitch and moan about jobs lost to immigrants.

To be fair, a decently sized chunk of the "Working Class" (busting tables, frycooks, et al) are made up of people attending College, High School, or just graduated from high school and will not be attending college.

 

Something that I would like to quote from this source is:

For a nation as rich as the United States, there are a very large number of low-paying jobs. One of the most interesting data sets in the SWA is that for the fraction of jobs which pay an hourly wage rate insufficient to support a family of four at the poverty level of income with full-time, year-round work. Below in table 3 are some of the data for 2003. During the expansion of the 1990s, women gained against men and blacks gained against whites in terms of laboring at poverty-level employment. Hispanics, on the other hand, fell further behind whites, no doubt because of increases in immigration of relatively unskilled Hispanic workers.

 

The information here is a little bit outdated (I do believe this article is from 2005) but it is still very much relevant almost a decade later. I'm not trying to say that it is bad for their to be an increase in minimum wage, all I was trying to do was bring up a few points to spark some discussions. A small minimum wage increase might fix a few things, but I'm a 14 year old with some time on his hands. Not a human resources expert. 

 

EDIT: Forgot to add the hyperlink :lol:

[Imabigmac]

I'm by no means implying that everybody should be a doctor or an engineer. All I am trying to get at is that they could get a much better job than working at McDonalds. 

Not everyone can work somewhere else as well, someone has to work there.