Comparing multiples of minimum wage is one of the worst imaginable metrics because minimum wages mean very different things in different countries. The US minim

Comparing multiples of minimum wage is one of the worst imaginable metrics because minimum wages mean very different things in different countries. The US minimum wage, relative to many less developed nations (which are all that is compared), is extremely high in terms of the purchasing power it provides. For instance the article mentions that in South Africa drivers earn 5.1x the minimum wage. But what does that mean? Well we can figure it out pretty easily! The recommended minimum wage in South Africa is $173 per month. Of course things are cheaper in South Africa, so that doesn't tell you anything by itself. But we can use Purchasing Power Parity measurements to make it mean something! South Africa's PPP is 0.455 [1]. What that means is that a basket of goods worth $1 in America would cost $0.455 in South Africa. So we now can use about a 2.2x multipler to start ballparking buying power. So 5.1x the minimum wage works out to 173 * 5.1 * 2.2 = $1,941 in US dollar equivalent purchasing power per month. Now let's assume full time work of a basic 40 hour week to get this into an hourly rate. $1,941 / 160 = $12.13. Lo and behold, their "5.1x the minimum wage" works out to almost an identical market rate for drivers as in the US. They earn about $0.20 less per hour, in adjusted spending power, than they'd earn in the US. Whenever a datum leaves you wondering what it really means, it's often one that's been chosen to present a sensationalized image to what's often a pretty boring reality. [1] - https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/PA.NUS.PPPC.RF?locations=ZA https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/PA.NUS.PPPC.RF?location...