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The dynamic you've described is no different than a licensed professional hiring unlicensed worker to work under them. The employer has some legal status that

The dynamic you've described is no different than a licensed professional hiring unlicensed worker to work under them. The employer has some legal status that is required by the government to do that business and to make the most money off of it they have more people doing under their license. Sure they technically bear responsibility for the work but 99.9999% of the jobs won't require the full skills of a license holder so sending an apprentice to wire a ceiling fan or un-clog a drain is no big deal. Sure, I guess the plumber's apprentice could just get a job bagging groceries but the illegal immigrant could panhandle or collect cans. At some point it just becomes an exercise drawing arbitrary lines with regard to how much money one needs to survive. Personally I think the government should get out of the business of saying who can work or who can do what work since that's what's creating the opportunity for this labor arbitrage/exploitation.

jakelazaroff 7y ago
> The dynamic you've described is no different than a licensed professional hiring unlicensed worker to work under them. The key here is the second part, where that limitation is being used to coerce them into accepting disadvantageous terms. > Sure, I guess the plumber's apprentice could just not work but so could the illegal immigrant at some point it just becomes an exercise drawing arbitrary lines with regard to how much money one needs to survive. Perhaps we could implement some sort of "minimum wage" to ensure employers pay enough for their employees to survive.
- Kalium 7y ago
  Minimum wages are great for people already in the legal labor market. For people outside it, it creates incentives to find a way in (honestly or otherwise). For businesses, it can create incentives to find a way to get access to the less than entirely legal labor pool with a wink and a nudge for deniability. To be absolutely clear, a minimum wage is in no way a bad thing! It's just worth bearing in mind that incentives are complex things.

jakelazaroff 7y ago

> The dynamic you've described is no different than a licensed professional hiring unlicensed worker to work under them. The key here is the second part, where that limitation is being used to coerce them into accepting disadvantageous terms. > Sure, I guess the plumber's apprentice could just not work but so could the illegal immigrant at some point it just becomes an exercise drawing arbitrary lines with regard to how much money one needs to survive. Perhaps we could implement some sort of "minimum wage" to ensure employers pay enough for their employees to survive.

Kalium 7y ago
Minimum wages are great for people already in the legal labor market. For people outside it, it creates incentives to find a way in (honestly or otherwise). For businesses, it can create incentives to find a way to get access to the less than entirely legal labor pool with a wink and a nudge for deniability. To be absolutely clear, a minimum wage is in no way a bad thing! It's just worth bearing in mind that incentives are complex things.