5 ms·

I can't read this, but I have to comment anyways. My guess is simply that america has two times the gdp per capita of the UK. Even if the cost of labour in bost

I can't read this, but I have to comment anyways. My guess is simply that america has two times the gdp per capita of the UK. Even if the cost of labour in boston is equivalent to that of london, that isn't going to be true elsewhere. the pre-made sandwhiches are most likely not made in Boston or London (rather cheaper towns in the same area). Because the average american is so much more expensive, the only surprise is that the difference is only 2 USD.

pledg 7y ago
Where do you get 2x from? Wikipedia has US more around 50% more.
socialdemocrat 7y ago
GDP is entirely irrelevant. What matters is salaries. The US may have a high GDP per capita, but it is the most unequal western country. Minimum wage is very low in the US compared to Western Europe. US GDP is higher than Sweden, but workers tend to make more money in Sweden. In the US GDP is mainly distributed to the upper classes. I think in Norway a McDonalds worker makes something like 2x-3x as much per hour as an American McDonalds worker.
- briandear 7y ago
  > workers tend to make more money in Sweden. In the US GDP is mainly distributed to the upper classes. That just isn’t true. And, in minimum wage, the number of people that make minimum wage is extremely small — not even 2% of the total workforce. https://mises.org/wire/when-it-comes-household-income-sweden-and-germany-rank-kentucky https://mises.org/wire/when-it-comes-household-income-sweden...
  - walterstucco 7y ago
    that's true everywhere in the world. because most of the workers make a just a little but more or don't even make it.
  - oblio 7y ago
    I don't know if regular Walmart employees make minimum wage, but I'd rather be a cashier at Aldi in Germany than one at Aldi in Kentucky (sorry Kentucky, I'm just using you as an example from the linked article).
- prepend 7y ago
  Average wage is very different than minimum wage. Because of the US’ high gdp both the mean and median salary is much higher. In 2018, the U.K. median household income was $35,000 (converted from pounds) [0] and in 2019 $63,800 in the US [1]. That’s an enormous difference. There’s also many more ultra rich in the US than the U.K., but just your normal American has a lot more income to spend. [0] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/householddisposableincomeandinequality/yearending2018 https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personal... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United...

pledg 7y ago

Where do you get 2x from? Wikipedia has US more around 50% more.

socialdemocrat 7y ago

GDP is entirely irrelevant. What matters is salaries. The US may have a high GDP per capita, but it is the most unequal western country. Minimum wage is very low in the US compared to Western Europe. US GDP is higher than Sweden, but workers tend to make more money in Sweden. In the US GDP is mainly distributed to the upper classes. I think in Norway a McDonalds worker makes something like 2x-3x as much per hour as an American McDonalds worker.

briandear 7y ago
> workers tend to make more money in Sweden. In the US GDP is mainly distributed to the upper classes. That just isn’t true. And, in minimum wage, the number of people that make minimum wage is extremely small — not even 2% of the total workforce. https://mises.org/wire/when-it-comes-household-income-sweden-and-germany-rank-kentucky https://mises.org/wire/when-it-comes-household-income-sweden...
- walterstucco 7y ago
  that's true everywhere in the world. because most of the workers make a just a little but more or don't even make it.
- oblio 7y ago
  I don't know if regular Walmart employees make minimum wage, but I'd rather be a cashier at Aldi in Germany than one at Aldi in Kentucky (sorry Kentucky, I'm just using you as an example from the linked article).
prepend 7y ago
Average wage is very different than minimum wage. Because of the US’ high gdp both the mean and median salary is much higher. In 2018, the U.K. median household income was $35,000 (converted from pounds) [0] and in 2019 $63,800 in the US [1]. That’s an enormous difference. There’s also many more ultra rich in the US than the U.K., but just your normal American has a lot more income to spend. [0] https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/householddisposableincomeandinequality/yearending2018 https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personal... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United...