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The minimum wage is ultimately always zero; employers can simply choose to not hire you if they think your productivity is not enough to justify paying you the
by logicchains 13y ago
The minimum wage is ultimately always zero; employers can simply choose to not hire you if they think your productivity is not enough to justify paying you the minimum.
As an Australian who spent a couple of years in Asia (where minimum wages are much lower than Australia's $16/hour), one of the most stinking things I noticed was how much easier it was to find work there. I have 'unskilled' Australian friends who have spent months looking for work, without luck, whereas in Singapore for instance it seemed rare for somebody to take more than a week or two to find work.
While the quality of the work may be lower than that of minimum-wage work in Australia, it at least provides unskilled individuals with an opportunity to develop the experience, skills and confidence necessary to move onto better jobs, while their Australian counterparts are still sitting around at home feeling dejected at being unable to find work.
- crdoconnor 13y ago>In Singapore for instance it seemed rare for somebody to take more than a week or two to find work. It took me a LONG time, and the work I ultimately found was much lower paid than it would be in Australia, the US or Europe. Singapore is a perfect example of what happens if you have no minimum wage. The majority of the country's wealth gets diverted towards profits. Wages all around are lower. The only reason it doesn't cause massive social instability in SG is because the government keeps housing, health care and education affordable by rigid price fixing.