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I wonder how our society would look like if instead of importing a cheap workforce, we'd raise the minimum wage to a point where the shitty jobs would be paid e
by Garvi 3y ago
I wonder how our society would look like if instead of importing a cheap workforce, we'd raise the minimum wage to a point where the shitty jobs would be paid enough for them to feel respectable. You know, like in a healthy capitalistic society of supply and demand. Instead we're manipulating the workforce supply for the sole benefit of the employers.
And now we're talking about video games. Sigh.
- hotpotamus 3y agoI think Japan might be the best example of this. I don't know about minimum wage laws, but their immigration system is famously draconian and obviously they're an island.
- wahnfrieden 3y agoMinimum wage is around $6.75/hour
- hotpotamus 3y agoThat number is nominally pretty close the US which is interesting, but I don’t really know what it means in terms of purchasing power parity. I wonder how able a minimum wage worker is to afford their health insurance and rent. And it’s probably relevant what percentage of workers make that wage. I’m really not all that knowledgeable about Japan other than a little bit from talking to people who’ve been and catching the odd online talk/documentary, but it does seem like an I interesting place. In the US for instance, it seems like minimum wage is a dead letter law since it was never indexed to inflation and had been left to wither away.
- wahnfrieden 3y agoinflation and untethered minimum wage is a class warfare tool. it was purposely untethered from inflation from the start.
- Garvi 3y agoInteresting. It seems Japan is subsidizing jobs that are paid too little and no one wants to take at those wages, while employers cannot afford higher rates. That does indeed seem like a great idea, considering they seem to have a rather fair progressive income tax system (5% - 45%).
- angmarsbane 3y agoOr using political policies to keep a dignified standard of living attainable within lower incomes.