Help me understand the impact of a $15 minimum wage?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d rather we stopped this “living wage” talk and focus on making essentials like health care and housing more affordable/accessible.

If the 15 does not result in reduced employment, it will result in inflation of things like daycare, food, and housing. Then the 15 will not have as much buying power as it does now. And where does that place people who are already making 15 an hour? Are their wages going to go up too?

If it does result in reduced employment, then that is going to be a larger societal problem. Work is important to human dignity and a sense of purpose.

I also have kids. One will be old enough for a PT job in a year or two. Its already hard enough for young people to get their foot in the door and this will make it harder.

Which would you rather if it were you at that income level? I'd rather a living wage so I don't have to be dependent on public projects.

There should be no shame in benefitting from programs such as national health care.
As far as housing, if government interference has made it expensive, then perhaps the government ought to either stop interfering (restrictive zoning, etc) or make it right some other way. There should be no shame in benefiting from that either.

Of course there’s no shame. But which would YOU rather?

If it were me, I’d take the lower wage with guaranteed health care and daycare.
A 20 year old might think differently. They’d want to pocket the cash since they don’t have daycare and might skip over healthcare.
That’s IF they can get the job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

A minimum wage job needs to be able to pay its workers enough to feed, clothe and house themselves. As PP noted above, there are only so many hours a day you can work and in this new economy, people ARE expected to support themselves on minimum wage jobs. It is not heavy-handed to correct a real labor issue. With any change, there are consequences, yes. We have lost entire swaths of jobs due to technological changes. But we don't sit on our hands and let allowing businesses big and small thrive by exploiting their labor.(and please, spare us "they have a choice" argument, because they simply don't for a variety of reasons).

There is something seriously wrong in a country where people can put in a hard and honest 40+hours of work a week and still not be able to meet the basics.

Basically this. We shouldn't have a static minimum wage, that is fought over by politicians. It should be tied to productivity, inflation, something like that.

Agreed. But apparently people that can’t qualify to do more than minimum wage work should just be at risk for hunger or homelessness...because their work isn’t worth a living wage I guess?

+1. This a a question some people don’t want to acknowledge. Not every worker is capable of a certain level of output. That does not mean their contributions are worth nothing and that they are better off staying home and collecting benefits.

Actually republicans would rather they die. Tats what I’ve learned this year. They definitely don’t want to pay them benefits, and they won’t force employers to pay them fairly. So what’s the alternative?

The alternative is ensuring that ALL people have access to essentials like health care and affordable housing. There are some people, perhaps low performers or people with disabilities, or people who for whatever reason who may not be productive enough to keep a job worth 15 an hour. I still think they should work though. Their work is still valuable to society. Everyone has something to offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

A minimum wage job needs to be able to pay its workers enough to feed, clothe and house themselves. As PP noted above, there are only so many hours a day you can work and in this new economy, people ARE expected to support themselves on minimum wage jobs. It is not heavy-handed to correct a real labor issue. With any change, there are consequences, yes. We have lost entire swaths of jobs due to technological changes. But we don't sit on our hands and let allowing businesses big and small thrive by exploiting their labor.(and please, spare us "they have a choice" argument, because they simply don't for a variety of reasons).

There is something seriously wrong in a country where people can put in a hard and honest 40+hours of work a week and still not be able to meet the basics.

Basically this. We shouldn't have a static minimum wage, that is fought over by politicians. It should be tied to productivity, inflation, something like that.

Agreed. But apparently people that can’t qualify to do more than minimum wage work should just be at risk for hunger or homelessness...because their work isn’t worth a living wage I guess?

+1. This a a question some people don’t want to acknowledge. Not every worker is capable of a certain level of output. That does not mean their contributions are worth nothing and that they are better off staying home and collecting benefits.

Actually republicans would rather they die. Tats what I’ve learned this year. They definitely don’t want to pay them benefits, and they won’t force employers to pay them fairly. So what’s the alternative?

The alternative is ensuring that ALL people have access to essentials like health care and affordable housing. There are some people, perhaps low performers or people with disabilities, or people who for whatever reason who may not be productive enough to keep a job worth 15 an hour. I still think they should work though. Their work is still valuable to society. Everyone has something to offer.

Yes, but republicans don’t support that. Are you not understanding my point? They’d rather those people disappear or be homeless than pay them benefits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can’t afford to pay your employees a living wage, your company is not profitable and your business is ALREADY a failure.

+1 No more exemptions from providing leave or healthcare. All workers have the same rights, not just those who work for huge corporations.

This is a different issue. And I think you’re wrong. Minimum wage sure.

Workers shouldn't all have equal protections? A Starbucks employee is entitled to healthcare or FMLA but someone working for a very small business is SOL?

Nope, I think employer sponsored healthcare is dumb. I like single payer.

I agree but we don't have that. In the absence of single payer, all employees should have access to the same benefits, regardless of if they work at Burger King or a tiny accounting firm with 4 employees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can’t afford to pay your employees a living wage, your company is not profitable and your business is ALREADY a failure.

+1 No more exemptions from providing leave or healthcare. All workers have the same rights, not just those who work for huge corporations.

This is a different issue. And I think you’re wrong. Minimum wage sure.

Workers shouldn't all have equal protections? A Starbucks employee is entitled to healthcare or FMLA but someone working for a very small business is SOL?

Nope, I think employer sponsored healthcare is dumb. I like single payer.

I agree but we don't have that. In the absence of single payer, all employees should have access to the same benefits, regardless of if they work at Burger King or a tiny accounting firm with 4 employees.

I think you’re more likely to get single payer than that. Large corporations need to pay their FAIR share. You’ll get small business support for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can’t afford to pay your employees a living wage, your company is not profitable and your business is ALREADY a failure.

+1 No more exemptions from providing leave or healthcare. All workers have the same rights, not just those who work for huge corporations.

This is a different issue. And I think you’re wrong. Minimum wage sure.

Workers shouldn't all have equal protections? A Starbucks employee is entitled to healthcare or FMLA but someone working for a very small business is SOL?

Nope, I think employer sponsored healthcare is dumb. I like single payer.

I agree but we don't have that. In the absence of single payer, all employees should have access to the same benefits, regardless of if they work at Burger King or a tiny accounting firm with 4 employees.

I think you’re more likely to get single payer than that. Large corporations need to pay their FAIR share. You’ll get small business support for that.

Fair enough. I guess I'm not seeing for forest for the trees. I do hope we can get single payer soon. If I added up my out of pocket medical expenses over the past 5 years, it would be enough for a down payment on a house around here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The argument that I hear from those opposed to raising the minimum wage is that it will cause employers to cut jobs.
However, it seems to me that the main impact is that it would cause pressure to raise wages for those currently making between $7.50 and $15 an hour.
Someone who currently makes $15 an hour isn’t going to be happy to find themselves as a minimum wage worker.

So if wages increases, inflation will increase causing those who will be making the new minimum to have roughly the same standard of living as they do now.
At least, that’s how it would seem to play out to me.

Can someone who has a better understanding of economics explain why raising the minimum wage wouldn’t significantly increase inflation, thus negating the benefit of a higher salary.

Technology can replace a lot of low wage jobs. And large companies will just start rolling it out and reduce staff to just a handful. The technology is available today but isn't used because public preference leans towards in person interaction.
But when a company is losing money they just won't care and will expect people to adapt and they will.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can’t afford to pay your employees a living wage, your company is not profitable and your business is ALREADY a failure.

+1 No more exemptions from providing leave or healthcare. All workers have the same rights, not just those who work for huge corporations.

This is a different issue. And I think you’re wrong. Minimum wage sure.

Workers shouldn't all have equal protections? A Starbucks employee is entitled to healthcare or FMLA but someone working for a very small business is SOL?

Nope, I think employer sponsored healthcare is dumb. I like single payer.

I agree but we don't have that. In the absence of single payer, all employees should have access to the same benefits, regardless of if they work at Burger King or a tiny accounting firm with 4 employees.

I think you’re more likely to get single payer than that. Large corporations need to pay their FAIR share. You’ll get small business support for that.

Fair enough. I guess I'm not seeing for forest for the trees. I do hope we can get single payer soon. If I added up my out of pocket medical expenses over the past 5 years, it would be enough for a down payment on a house around here.

Exactly, and do you know why health insurance costs are 15K per employee for every business- HUGE drain on them - because the health insurance industry pockets MOST of our premiums and our employers paid portion as their own personal PROFIT ( CEO makes 50 Mill a year, 100 Million a year spent on lobbying, millions spent to employ " benefits denying staff who's sole job is to deny your bills for coverage"

These aren't the Doctors and Nurses who are caring for you- these are Middle Men

Get rid of them.

I am healthy. Why ??? should I be forced to pay $3,800 a year and my employer $15,000 a year to an Insurance Company when all I need is a Phsyical once a year . That is insane waste of money BOTH for me AND the corporation that employs me.

Nationalize Health Care- most of us do NOT need 100,000's of care a year, we just need $500 worth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can’t afford to pay your employees a living wage, your company is not profitable and your business is ALREADY a failure.

+1 No more exemptions from providing leave or healthcare. All workers have the same rights, not just those who work for huge corporations.

This is a different issue. And I think you’re wrong. Minimum wage sure.

Workers shouldn't all have equal protections? A Starbucks employee is entitled to healthcare or FMLA but someone working for a very small business is SOL?

Nope, I think employer sponsored healthcare is dumb. I like single payer.

I agree but we don't have that. In the absence of single payer, all employees should have access to the same benefits, regardless of if they work at Burger King or a tiny accounting firm with 4 employees.

I think you’re more likely to get single payer than that. Large corporations need to pay their FAIR share. You’ll get small business support for that.

Fair enough. I guess I'm not seeing for forest for the trees. I do hope we can get single payer soon. If I added up my out of pocket medical expenses over the past 5 years, it would be enough for a down payment on a house around here.

Exactly, and do you know why health insurance costs are 15K per employee for every business- HUGE drain on them - because the health insurance industry pockets MOST of our premiums and our employers paid portion as their own personal PROFIT ( CEO makes 50 Mill a year, 100 Million a year spent on lobbying, millions spent to employ " benefits denying staff who's sole job is to deny your bills for coverage"

These aren't the Doctors and Nurses who are caring for you- these are Middle Men

Get rid of them.

I am healthy. Why ??? should I be forced to pay $3,800 a year and my employer $15,000 a year to an Insurance Company when all I need is a Phsyical once a year . That is insane waste of money BOTH for me AND the corporation that employs me.

Nationalize Health Care- most of us do NOT need 100,000's of care a year, we just need $500 worth.

Yep! And imagine what a small business owner could do with that money?! Maybe hire a few people and pay them ... 15 bucks an hour!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you can’t afford to pay your employees a living wage, your company is not profitable and your business is ALREADY a failure.

+1 No more exemptions from providing leave or healthcare. All workers have the same rights, not just those who work for huge corporations.

This is a different issue. And I think you’re wrong. Minimum wage sure.

Workers shouldn't all have equal protections? A Starbucks employee is entitled to healthcare or FMLA but someone working for a very small business is SOL?

Nope, I think employer sponsored healthcare is dumb. I like single payer.

I agree but we don't have that. In the absence of single payer, all employees should have access to the same benefits, regardless of if they work at Burger King or a tiny accounting firm with 4 employees.

I think you’re more likely to get single payer than that. Large corporations need to pay their FAIR share. You’ll get small business support for that.

Fair enough. I guess I'm not seeing for forest for the trees. I do hope we can get single payer soon. If I added up my out of pocket medical expenses over the past 5 years, it would be enough for a down payment on a house around here.

Did you vote for Bernie in the primary? Biden doesn't have single payer on his agenda. But he has $15/hr.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The impact of a $15 minimum wage is few jobs and more automation.

The days of going into a fast food place or retail store and transacting with a human being will be completely gone. And the people who do those jobs now, will be unemployed and sitting at home 24/7 collecting their UBI (also on the way) while you work to support their lifestyle of leisure-subsistence.

If UBI is coming, we definitely need $15/hr or no one will work. $7.50/hr=1200/month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The impact of a $15 minimum wage is few jobs and more automation.

The days of going into a fast food place or retail store and transacting with a human being will be completely gone. And the people who do those jobs now, will be unemployed and sitting at home 24/7 collecting their UBI (also on the way) while you work to support their lifestyle of leisure-subsistence.

If UBI is coming, we definitely need $15/hr or no one will work. $7.50/hr=1200/month.

DP. The days of going into stores and interacting with humans is already gone, if you hadn’t noticed. 😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The impact of a $15 minimum wage is few jobs and more automation.

The days of going into a fast food place or retail store and transacting with a human being will be completely gone. And the people who do those jobs now, will be unemployed and sitting at home 24/7 collecting their UBI (also on the way) while you work to support their lifestyle of leisure-subsistence.

If UBI is coming, we definitely need $15/hr or no one will work. $7.50/hr=1200/month.

DP. The days of going into stores and interacting with humans is already gone, if you hadn’t noticed. 😂

Eventually automation is going to be cheaper for lots of these jobs. Having people make poverty wages for jobs that are easy to automate can delay that, but not forever. Eventually we're probably going to have to deal with the fact that automation is going to make it hard to impossible for everyone to be employed. If that means I'm taxed to make sure they don't starve to death, I'm fine with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The impact of a $15 minimum wage is few jobs and more automation.

The days of going into a fast food place or retail store and transacting with a human being will be completely gone. And the people who do those jobs now, will be unemployed and sitting at home 24/7 collecting their UBI (also on the way) while you work to support their lifestyle of leisure-subsistence.

If UBI is coming, we definitely need $15/hr or no one will work. $7.50/hr=1200/month.

DP. The days of going into stores and interacting with humans is already gone, if you hadn’t noticed. 😂

Eventually automation is going to be cheaper for lots of these jobs. Having people make poverty wages for jobs that are easy to automate can delay that, but not forever. Eventually we're probably going to have to deal with the fact that automation is going to make it hard to impossible for everyone to be employed. If that means I'm taxed to make sure they don't starve to death, I'm fine with that.

Same. That’ll help with the inflation problem OP is asking about. I think... economics aren’t my strong suit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The argument that I hear from those opposed to raising the minimum wage is that it will cause employers to cut jobs.
However, it seems to me that the main impact is that it would cause pressure to raise wages for those currently making between $7.50 and $15 an hour.
Someone who currently makes $15 an hour isn’t going to be happy to find themselves as a minimum wage worker.

So if wages increases, inflation will increase causing those who will be making the new minimum to have roughly the same standard of living as they do now.
At least, that’s how it would seem to play out to me.

Can someone who has a better understanding of economics explain why raising the minimum wage wouldn’t significantly increase inflation, thus negating the benefit of a higher salary.

Technology can replace a lot of low wage jobs. And large companies will just start rolling it out and reduce staff to just a handful. The technology is available today but isn't used because public preference leans towards in person interaction.
But when a company is losing money they just won't care and will expect people to adapt and they will.

It's already happening, a lot, and will continue, no matter what the min wage is. So may as well pay people a humane living wage now.