Is US Minimum Wage really $7.25?

I read that the Federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. I knew it was low but I think that is crazy.How could you afford to live on that? Here in Australia it is $15.51 an hour.In Australia a 16 year old gets $7.34. And our dollar is worth slightly more than yours. I cannot beleive that adults in a country as prosperous as America are only worth $7.25 an hour. How would you even pay for utilities? There must be people that work fulltime and are on 'food stamps'. Are minimum wage jobs a significant percentage of the workforce?

From the outside looking in America looks like a terrible place to live. I have seen the 'tent cities' and seen how the homeless are treated. And then you see MTV cribs and the stark contrast. Yet you have armies of lunatics wearing patriot costumes screaming for blood because of 'obamacare'. The neocons seem like insane psychopaths. You watch a gop debate and hear people cheer at the idea of letting the poor die because they are poor. And you hear them call for cuts to welfare when the poor in your country are obviously already living like badly-fed animals. Anyway,I digress.

I was thinking that since America has an army of unemployed people that would be willing to work for minimum wage why isnt more stuff produced on US soil? I know people working in Chinese factories are worse off but surley more jobs in manufacturing is possible. You would save some on the fact that products wouldnt need to be imported and you could make up the difference in tarrifs. If grown men will work for $7.25 an hour I think there are solutions.

reply to post by theovermensch




You have a very good minimum wage, I didn't realise it was so high?
Minimum wage in UK is £6.08 which is $9.50 USD and $9.43 AUD... so while ours is higher than the US, It's much lower than AUS.

I would love our minimum wage to be £10 (The equivalent of yours) that would be fantastic.

I agree with some of your points regarding healthcare too.

I don't know any country can call themselves civilised and modern and have the kind of system that the US has.

reply to post by theovermensch


Well, all I can say is: Yes, really, to every question & You are 100% right.

Oh and, yes, it is unbelievable and pitiful, ain't it?!

reply to post by theovermensch


It's the minimum wage that greedy lawyers and corporations have fought very hard to keep at the current insulting, spit in your face rate.
Adults cannot work these jobs or they will starve or get gov help. Problem is we need adults doing most of the minimum wage jobs. People need REALISTIC work.

reply to post by theovermensch

Here in Australia it is $15.51 an hour.In Australia a 16 year old gets $7.34.

Why would a teenager earn half of the minimum wage? Just curious. Are employers over there allowed to discriminate pay based on age? I don't understand that.

To answer your question, 'minimum wage' is not the same as 'living wage.' It was never intended to be.

Yes, but if you work at fast food places you can make up for it by cramming food down your throat or sneaking it home.

Also, we have food stamps and such.

reply to post by blupblup


Most people in Australia wouldnt consider working for less than $20 an hour. We have resources boom happening so there are heaps of jobs in the mining industry. Most men would see anything under $20 an hour as insulting.

reply to post by AshleyD



Many countries have a lower wage for younger workers.

In the UK It's

£4.98 - the 18-20 rate
£3.68 - the 16-17 rate for workers above school leaving age but under 18

reply to post by theovermensch


Welcome to the NWO. Yes that is the minimum wage and many companies are exempt and pay less. The jobs are leaving the countries because the lunatics that are running the US government are deliberately destroying the economy You are right about working and getting food stamps in many cases sleeping in their cars working full time jobs. The only answer is to clean house of all those running the country because they are all a bunch of corrupt criminals. Why do you think they are passing laws against the American people such as the NDAA and in the process of activating there multi million Relocation camps (FEMA)? Don't worry if it hasn't came there yet it will soon be in a town nearest you.

because in america it is demonized. they brainwashed the feeble populace to root for the wealthy.

reply to post by blupblup


wow.

Originally posted by theovermensch
reply to post by blupblup

 

Most people in Australia wouldnt consider working for less than $20 an hour. We have resources boom happening so there are heaps of jobs in the mining industry. Most men would see anything under $20 an hour as insulting.

OK cool, that is very good.

Er.... will you get me a job there?
But seriously... will you, go on...you know you want to.

reply to post by theovermensch



We don't survive on it, we can't pay utilities and it getting even worse. Especially when congress and senate get automatic pay raises for the cost of living, which they have to vote down, or it goes through automatically.

Yet the people get nothing...except the shaft and tax hikes.

reply to post by theovermensch


Oh haven't you heard, we aren't worth that. Hmmm, we are lazy, obese, worthless garbage who apparently won't work at a plethora of jobs that only mexicans will take? You haven't heard?
We are the garbage of the world! /sarcasm
Yep that's what everybody says about America, yep, but when they get invaded or when tehy have other problems, guess whom they ask to bail them out? Yep, the USA. I say we tell them next time to take a flying leap!!!

Originally posted by AshleyD
reply to post by theovermensch

 

Here in Australia it is $15.51 an hour.In Australia a 16 year old gets $7.34.

Why would a teenager earn half of the minimum wage? Just curious. Are employers over there allowed to discriminate pay based on age? I don't understand that.

To answer your question, 'minimum wage' is not the same as 'living wage.' It was never intended to be.

Yes there are lower rates for kids. Most are working part-time after school. McDonalds type stuff. Apprentices and Trainees start on lower than minimum wage. But they are kids so nobody minds too much.

Originally posted by AshleyD
reply to post by theovermensch

 

Here in Australia it is $15.51 an hour.In Australia a 16 year old gets $7.34.

Why would a teenager earn half of the minimum wage? Just curious. Are employers over there allowed to discriminate pay based on age? I don't understand that.

To answer your question, 'minimum wage' is not the same as 'living wage.' It was never intended to be.

There are people dying for jobs. When a minimum wage is what is most readily available for eager adults, and its not hard figure out the amount of money it takes just to get by, the defenition should be on the side of the new employee.
Minimum wage is synonymous with livable wage. Again, disgusting people have worked hard to cloud the idea of minimum wage as most logical people would understand it.

Originally posted by ADVISOR
reply to post by theovermensch

 

We don't survive on it, we can't pay utilities and it getting even worse. Especially when congress and senate get automatic pay raises for the cost of living, which they have to vote down, or it goes through automatically.

Yet the people get nothing...except the shaft and tax hikes.

yeah, this always kills me

we are payed based on experience and performance, what would happen if that applied to washington? honestly what makes a politician more capable for that job over anyone of us? cause they BS better? they ain't even good at that anymore. really wish those OWS folks would of put washington on their radar.....

But in relation to kids working here in Australia it is exploited to a degree by corporations like McDonalds. They employ 16 year olds on a casual basis then they dont call after they turn 18.

Works out ok though because most over 18 wouldnt want to work at McDonalds.

reply to post by blupblup


Wow that's crazy. Thanks for answering that for me. Even as a kid not sure if I'd want to work for $3 something an hour. lol

Most people in Australia wouldnt consider working for less than $20 an hour. We have resources boom happening so there are heaps of jobs in the mining industry. Most men would see anything under $20 an hour as insulting.

We have something like that going on where I live. We're in the middle of one of the biggest oil booms the country has ever known. More money flowing around now than there has ever been in this area and people have come from all over the world to work here. High school dropouts and able bodied teenagers are making six figures working for the oil companies. If you tried to offer them minimum wage, they'd be insulted. lol

So I guess it just depends. Again, minimum wage (legally set) is not a living wage (numerically/unofficially estimated). You're not going to be making minimum wage for most jobs.That's usually for the very bottom barrel of jobs. It's not like it's the average or even most common pay range. I just Googled it out of curiosity and only 2 million Americans (legal citizens, I'm sure) make minimum wage or less. Out of almost 400 million, that doesn't sound too bad.

reply to post by theovermensch

You watch a gop debate and hear people cheer at the idea of letting the poor die because they are poor.

No, you don't.

That has never, EVER, happened.

NO ONE at these debates cheers at the thought of poor people dying.

I won't get into the rest because I don't have time now, but I had to call you out on that one.