Have the lives of minimum wage earners improved?

[Livinginwaterland]

Originally Posted by msRB311

but you're not that old...i'm talking about the 60s, 70s, maybe early 80s but then things started to change. One thing that seemed to contribute to this was more wives working, more double income households.

This and the how much easier it became to get loans and credit cards. These two things alone account for a lot of the issues. Then Covid came along and politicians shut the economy down. Big mistake that was. Eventually the market has to right itself to some extent, but I don’t think things will be the same price there were in the 80s and 90s.

As far as minimum wage goes, I think it’s fair now. It was always hard to live on minimum wage jobs and is today. People need to make themselves more valuable to the market in one way or another. Some skilled trades pay well but others don’t. Pick the ones that do. Or go to college if you want.

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by Livinginwaterland

This and the how much easier it became to get loans and credit cards. These two things alone account for a lot of the issues. Then Covid came along and politicians shut the economy down. Big mistake that was. Eventually the market has to right itself to some extent, but I don’t think things will be the same price there were in the 80s and 90s.

As far as minimum wage goes, I think it’s fair now. It was always hard to live on minimum wage jobs and is today. People need to make themselves more valuable to the market in one way or another. Some skilled trades pay well but others don’t. Pick the ones that do. Or go to college if you want.

No, i dont think it will ever go back to what it was. Why would it?? People are paying! It's sad how much going out to eat has become...also sad how much hotel stays are in some places that were reasonable before covid. I could go on...

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Right I wasn't suggesting they live in Montreal, just saying the could easily if they wanted to...but Spain would be nice...or the UK where she has also has roots. They live in NYC now so it's not like winter there is a joy either.

It makes a lot of sense to live in NYC vs Montreal if one loves Montreal, but has issues with what I listed. Montreal is a very dense, urban, "walking" city and I have always found that the closest living experience to Montreal in North America is found in NYC, and vice-versa (obviously NYC is bigger, but pick a block in Brooklyn, for instance, and I can find an equivalent in Montreal.)

In NYC, MUCH less taxes. No draconian French laws, and winters, while not the greatest, aren't anywhere near as brutal as in Montreal.

So I completely get why they'd live in NYC if they love Montreal but want to be in the US for one reason or another.

[Storm Eagle]

Originally Posted by TaxPhd

It’s not at all an assumption, it’s reality, and we DO know it. Wages are determined based on the interplay between the supply of labor and the demand for labor.

But hey, if you don’t believe in supply and demand, why don’t you tell us how wages are determined.

This’ll be rich. . .

If that is true then the same job at different businesses should all pay the same right? But they don’t. That is because other things then supply and demand determine wages. I never said didn’t believe in supply and demand just that not all business use it to determine wages