4 ms·

Where did people get this idea that every job must supply a living wage?

fzeroracer 7y ago
Why shouldn't every job supply a living wage? You realize what your proposing is a net societal negative, right? If a person has X amount in their savings and their job is not a living wage, then by definition they are likely going to have to rely on their savings to make up the wage differences. This is kind of a bad thing for capitalistic-based societies because you need people to consume, and if you have a large amount of people unable to consume then that negatively impacts the free market. It's also bad because it places stress on other parts of society. No healthcare means when you eventually get sick or injured the hospital has to take on those costs, which means people pay more while destroying the lives of said injured or sick person. People will have to make up the wage differential somehow, which also means that underclass of workers is more easily exploitable and/or pushed into illegal behaviors in order to survive.
- blackflame7000 7y ago
  Because if I need someone to mow my lawn why do I need to support their entire way of life. Not all work is equal and not all work is worth that much. What you're espousing is participation trophy logic.
  - radarthreat 7y ago
    Good luck getting anyone to mow your lawn, then. Simple economics.
    - blackflame7000 7y ago
      Simple economics, you can't sell pounded sand and you can't sprinkle VC money or use Google's profits to subsidize the world.
mfer 7y ago
I would argue that every job designed to be ones full time job while they are at a life phase where they have to be roughly self sufficient should have a wage that enables them to do so. Or, they need to go do something else. This is not every job. It is the situation for many in the gig economy. The reason people don't go do something else more often is something I would love to see studied.
dangerface 7y ago
School and society both teach that you should work hard at a job to make a living. It's the fundamental of economics.

Why shouldn't every job supply a living wage? You realize what your proposing is a net societal negative, right? If a person has X amount in their savings and their job is not a living wage, then by definition they are likely going to have to rely on their savings to make up the wage differences. This is kind of a bad thing for capitalistic-based societies because you need people to consume, and if you have a large amount of people unable to consume then that negatively impacts the free market. It's also bad because it places stress on other parts of society. No healthcare means when you eventually get sick or injured the hospital has to take on those costs, which means people pay more while destroying the lives of said injured or sick person. People will have to make up the wage differential somehow, which also means that underclass of workers is more easily exploitable and/or pushed into illegal behaviors in order to survive.

blackflame7000 7y ago
Because if I need someone to mow my lawn why do I need to support their entire way of life. Not all work is equal and not all work is worth that much. What you're espousing is participation trophy logic.
- radarthreat 7y ago
  Good luck getting anyone to mow your lawn, then. Simple economics.
  - blackflame7000 7y ago
    Simple economics, you can't sell pounded sand and you can't sprinkle VC money or use Google's profits to subsidize the world.

mfer 7y ago

I would argue that every job designed to be ones full time job while they are at a life phase where they have to be roughly self sufficient should have a wage that enables them to do so. Or, they need to go do something else. This is not every job. It is the situation for many in the gig economy. The reason people don't go do something else more often is something I would love to see studied.

dangerface 7y ago

School and society both teach that you should work hard at a job to make a living. It's the fundamental of economics.