I'm explicitly not replying to the meat of your comment, because I don't feel like I have anything to add to the productive discussion in this thread - which, b

I'm explicitly not replying to the meat of your comment, because I don't feel like I have anything to add to the productive discussion in this thread - which, by the way, I'm really enjoying reading :) That said, this stood out to me: > A job at Walmart making minimum wage [...] According to Glassdoor[1], a retail cashier at Walmart with no experience earns an average of $22,049 / year. Assuming 50 weeks @ 40 hours per week, that's $11.05 / hour. That does not include cash bonuses or profit sharing, which Glassdoor says adds another ~$1k. Indeed.com[2] shows the average wage for a Walmart cashier is $10.56 - so we're at least in the right ballpark above. My own experience at Walmart was unloading trucks from 4pm-1am the summer after I graduated high school (2002). I made $7.25 / hour then, when the minimum wage was $5.15. Trying to build a life on that kind of money isn't easy, and I'm not trying to say that it is; I do want to point out that even Walmart doesn't pay minimum wage as a rule. That's not to say there aren't other "tricks" that employers use, like limiting hours to prevent employees from qualifying from full-time benefits and such. There are. The minimum wage in 1982 was $3.25. Today it's $7.25. The purchasing power of the minimum wage has certainly decreased, but I strongly suspect that many more businesses paid minimum wage in 1982 than 2022. McDonald's in my town of <15k people pays $13/hr with no experience, with a $500 signing bonus and a guaranteed $1/hr raise at six and twelve months. The largest manufacturing employer here produce stamped sheet metal parts, and they have a large sign and banners lining the road claiming $18/hr, a $1,500 signing bonus, and fully paid family benefits. My California-based "healthtech" company employer doesn't even have health insurance as good as theirs. 1: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Walmart-Guest-Service-Team-Member-Cashier-Salaries-E715_DAO.htm?filter.jobTitleExact=Guest+Service+Team+Member+-+Cashier&experienceLevel=LESS_THAN_ONE https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Walmart-Guest-Service-Team-... 2: https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Walmart/salaries https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Walmart/salaries