Who Earns Minimum Wage?

GBFan

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Perhaps surprisingly, not very many people earn minimum wage, and they make up a smaller share of the workforce than they used to. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, last year 1.566 million hourly workers earned the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour; nearly two million more earned less than that because they fell under one of several exemptions (tipped employees, full-time students, certain disabled workers and others), for a total of 3.55 million hourly workers at or below the federal minimum.

That group represents 4.7% of the nation’s 75.3 million hourly-paid workers and 2.8% of all workers. In 1979, when the BLS began regularly studying minimum-wage workers, they represented 13.4% of hourly workers and 7.9% of all wage and salary workers. (Bear in mind that the 3.55 million figure doesn’t include salaried workers. But BLS says relatively few salaried workers are paid at what would translate into below-minimum hourly rates. Also, 19 states besides the District have minimum wages higher than the federal standard; people who’d be minimum-wage workers in those states aren’t included in the 3.55 million total.)

People at or below the federal minimum are:

  • Disproportionately young: 50.6% are ages 16 to 24; 24% are teenagers (ages 16 to 19).
  • Mostly (78%) white; fully half are white women.
  • Largely part-time workers (64% of the total).
They work in industries that you might expect: Just over half (51%) work in the leisure and hospitality industry, about 16% in retail, 9% in education and health services, and the rest scattered among different sectors. Broken down occupationally, the picture is similar: Nearly 44% are in food-preparation and serving-related occupations; 15% are in sales and related occupations, and the rest are scattered.

They’re also more likely to live in the South than anywhere else. In the West South Central states (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana), 7.3% of hourly workers make the federal minimum or less — the highest rate among the nine Census Bureau regions — followed by the South Atlantic (5.8%) and East South Central (5.7%) regions. In the Pacific region (California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii), by contrast, only 1.5% of hourly workers earned the federal minimum or less.

Economists continue to debate the extent to which minimum-wage laws reduce poverty, income inequality and/or overall employment. What’s clear, though, is that after a three-step increase in 2007-09, today’s minimum wage buys more than it did recently, but its real purchasing power is about where it was four decades ago — and below its late-1960s peak.
 
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Theres more on minimum wage since 2012 but thats besides the point. Raising the minimum wage isnt just for minimum wage earners benefit. It has an upward effect for low end workers up the ladder.
It puts upward pressure on wages that is very much needed. GBF we can both post links and articles with opposing views and claims all day long.
Here is a few absolute facts, in the last 25 yrs american corporations have outsourced millions of jobs that americans made a decent living working. Americans with those jobs had the ability to care for themselves and their families without any govt Aid and they all paid taxs. Many of those same americans are not only unemployed but are now on some govt asst or they are underemployed and cant provide the basics. In the same 25 yrs that the working class stagnated the rich got far richer. Good for them, I have no envy, I do loathe greedy dirtbags.
This country was built on capitalism and thats the best system in the world and Im all for it. Im not for unbridled capitalism and profits at all costs when it hurts americans.
Big banks all on their own have proven the need for govt intervention and regulation. SOMEONE has to keep these mega billion thieves somewhat in check.
 
Why Raising The Minimum Wage Kills Jobs

Firms cannot pay a worker more than the value the worker brings to the firm. Raising the minimum denies more low skilled workers the opportunity to get a job and receive “on the job” training. The impact of raising the minimum wage in 2009 on teen employment makes it very clear that this is especially harmful for young teen workers looking for their first opportunity to have a job.
 
If everyone is a fan of capitalism how us it that when it cones to competition, people shout 'greed' ? Whose fault is it that the rest of the globe became capable of manufacturing things and can do it cheapet and in some cades better ? Commodity manufacture has always moved to the liw cost provider. Once upon a time that was us. No more. What made us great was that we were able to stay ahead if the tech curve where the margins supported higher salaries. We have stopped being that thing and this is the predictable result.
 
If everyone is a fan of capitalism how us it that when it cones to competition, people shout 'greed' ? Whose fault is it that the rest of the globe became capable of manufacturing things and can do it cheapet and in some cades better ? Commodity manufacture has always moved to the liw cost provider. Once upon a time that was us. No more. What made us great was that we were able to stay ahead if the tech curve where the margins supported higher salaries. We have stopped being that thing and this is the predictable result.
The US has the highest corporate tax rates in the world. Yet, when companies flee the greed of our federal government and take their companies overseas or across our borders to more business friendly environment our government penalizes them and tells the sheeple to call "them" the greedy ones.

And, what do the sheeple believe and do ... exactly what their masters say. Clearly, not an independent thought in their little liberal mushy heads.
 
If everyone is a fan of capitalism how us it that when it cones to competition, people shout 'greed' ? Whose fault is it that the rest of the globe became capable of manufacturing things and can do it cheapet and in some cades better ? Commodity manufacture has always moved to the liw cost provider. Once upon a time that was us. No more. What made us great was that we were able to stay ahead if the tech curve where the margins supported higher salaries. We have stopped being that thing and this is the predictable result.


Capitalism should benefit all americans willing to work, I think we can all agree to that.
Of course many countries across the globe can make our goods cheaper. China was eating freakin dog before our corporations made them a huge economic engine and our next worst enemy. A chinaman can live a middleclass existence on 75 US a week. Clothes made in some countries are made by workers making 20cts thats twenty cents an hour. Are you kidding me trying to compare other countries to ours.
State by state in the US the cost of living differs HUGELY, even corporations recognize that if your transferred to Calif or NY or NJ from Jabip texas they give you supplemental pay to make up the difference in COL. They give housing incentives so you can afford a house. My house in fla would cost 5 times more up north and you want to compare the cost of living and relate it to manufacturing in biafra, pakistan the phillipines india china and mexico are you serious.
The federal minimum wage assures americans will always need some kind of govt asst.

The right expects americans to work for 7.25 an hour minimum wage and pay for their own healthcare and save for their retirement and feed and house their kids, yeah sure. Then when you tell them that its impossible, their answer its their fault they work for minimum wage, they should better themselves. How? and what is there to aspire too ? the good jobs are in china for the working class.

Listen conservatives not everyone can be rich and successful thats why they are called the 2%, if that were the case, no one would clean your house, cut your grass, fix your car, do your plumbing, come and save your ass when you call 911 and fight the next war for you, etc etc etc.
 
Capitalism should benefit all americans willing to work, I think we can all agree to that.
Of course many countries across the globe can make our goods cheaper. China was eating freakin dog before our corporations made them a huge economic engine and our next worst enemy. A chinaman can live a middleclass existence on 75 US a week. Clothes made in some countries are made by workers making 20cts thats twenty cents an hour. Are you kidding me trying to compare other countries to ours.
State by state in the US the cost of living differs HUGELY, even corporations recognize that if your transferred to Calif or NY or NJ from Jabip texas they give you supplemental pay to make up the difference in COL. They give housing incentives so you can afford a house. My house in fla would cost 5 times more up north and you want to compare the cost of living and relate it to manufacturing in biafra, pakistan the phillipines india china and mexico are you serious.
The federal minimum wage assures americans will always need some kind of govt asst.

The right expects americans to work for 7.25 an hour minimum wage and pay for their own healthcare and save for their retirement and feed and house their kids, yeah sure. Then when you tell them that its impossible, their answer its their fault they work for minimum wage, they should better themselves. How? and what is there to aspire too ? the good jobs are in china for the working class.

Listen conservatives not everyone can be rich and successful thats why they are called the 2%, if that were the case, no one would clean your house, cut your grass, fix your car, do your plumbing, come and save your ass when you call 911 and fight the next war for you, etc etc etc.

It is exactly this demeaning opinion of the ineptitude of the middle class worker, an exclusive province of the left, that creates the problem.

You CAN improve your lifestyle; you CAN move up - if you want to make the effort. I have proof !
 
Dead, "the right" expects people to work. What they get paid is up to them. Your pointless rant about COL misses the point that no company will move you anywhere if they have no reason to. And there are offsetting costs to offshoring such as shipping and increased inventory costs due to longer lead times. The cost differences are not as dramatic as most think. A reasonable assessment that amercan labor is no longer worth what it was when it was new tech is just commonsense.GB provided data as to the relatively few workers at min wage so this continued claim that everyone is getting that rings quite hollow. Couple that with ehat he might have added about the roughly 2 months the average minwage person stays at min only builds on it. Oddly enough you made an excellent point stating that min wage guarantees welfsre. The left love it the right would have it go away. Who wants to keep the unskilled locked down again ? Try this as a better argement: two min wages. One for kids at mcdonalds and another for people working for a living.
 
Dead, "the right" expects people to work. What they get paid is up to them. Your pointless rant about COL misses the point that no company will move you anywhere if they have no reason to. And there are offsetting costs to offshoring such as shipping and increased inventory costs due to longer lead times. The cost differences are not as dramatic as most think. A reasonable assessment that amercan labor is no longer worth what it was when it was new tech is just commonsense.GB provided data as to the relatively few workers at min wage so this continued claim that everyone is getting that rings quite hollow. Couple that with ehat he might have added about the roughly 2 months the average minwage person stays at min only builds on it. Oddly enough you made an excellent point stating that min wage guarantees welfsre. The left love it the right would have it go away. Who wants to keep the unskilled locked down again ? Try this as a better argement: two min wages. One for kids at mcdonalds and another for people working for a living.
 
Dead, "the right" expects people to work. What they get paid is up to them. Your pointless rant about COL misses the point that no company will move you anywhere if they have no reason to. And there are offsetting costs to offshoring such as shipping and increased inventory costs due to longer lead times. The cost differences are not as dramatic as most think. A reasonable assessment that amercan labor is no longer worth what it was when it was new tech is just commonsense.GB provided data as to the relatively few workers at min wage so this continued claim that everyone is getting that rings quite hollow. Couple that with ehat he might have added about the roughly 2 months the average minwage person stays at min only builds on it. Oddly enough you made an excellent point stating that min wage guarantees welfsre. The left love it the right would have it go away. Who wants to keep the unskilled locked down again ? Try this as a better argement: two min wages. One for kids at mcdonalds and another for people working for a living.
 
The US has the highest corporate tax rates in the world. Yet, when companies flee the greed of our federal government and take their companies overseas or across our borders to more business friendly environment our government penalizes them and tells the sheeple to call "them" the greedy ones.

And, what do the sheeple believe and do ... exactly what their masters say. Clearly, not an independent thought in their little liberal mushy heads.


Pretty high, but the UAE beats us:

The highest marginal tax rates in 2012 were found in the United Arab Emirates-at 55%; the United States - at 40%; Japan-with a 38.01% tax rate; Angola, Argentina, Honduras, Malta, Pakistan, Sudan and Zambia-all tied at 35%. In the United States, the corporate tax rate continues to be the subject of much debate. Many politicians in Congress demand a reform of the tax code that will lower it, in exchange for the elimination of a number of exemptions and loopholes. For the time being, political stalemate in Washington has made comprehensive tax reform hard to achieve.


The lowest corporate tax rates of the year were seen, unsurprisingly, in those countries known as offshore corporate tax havens-including the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, The Bahamas, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Vanuatu. They all had a top marginal corporate tax rate of 0%-along with Bahrain.


In the European Union, the lowest corporate tax rates were to be found in Bulgaria (10%,) Ireland (12.5%,) Latvia and Lithuania (15%,) and Romania (16%.) The highest is Belgium's, at nearly 34%.



Read more: http://www.gfmag.com/component/cont...6-corporate-tax-by-country.html#ixzz2wFkBl9Ik
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Share Alike

So, one would expect per capita GDP to be even lower in the UAE of course:

GDP - per capita (PPP): $49,800 (2012 est.)
$49,400 (2011 est.)
$48,400 (2010 est.)
note: data are in 2012 US dollars

And much higher in Bulgaria:

GDP - per capita (PPP): $14,500 (2012 est.)
$14,300 (2011 est.)
$13,700 (2010 est.)
note: data are in 2012 US dollars

than in the USA:

GDP - per capita (PPP): $50,700 (2012 est.)
$50,000 (2011 est.)
$49,500 (2010 est.)
note: data are in 2012 US dollars

links:

http://www.indexmundi.com/united_states/gdp_per_capita_(ppp).html
http://www.indexmundi.com/bulgaria/gdp_per_capita_(ppp).html
http://www.indexmundi.com/united_arab_emirates/gdp_per_capita_(ppp).html

So, clearly, the way to riches is to lower the corporate tax rate as they've done in Bulgaria.
 
Fast-food protests to spotlight 'wage theft'

Typical liberal BS. Now, the greedy businesses have "stolen" all the unskilled workers wages.

This is nothing more than an effort by the Marxist Democrats to once again kill jobs in this Country.

After all, you can not have a Country full of government dependent sheeple if there are jobs available for them.

Citizens may actually work and try to better themselves and you know we can't have any of that pursuit of happiness BS!
 
Capitalism should benefit all americans willing to work, I think we can all agree to that.

I think everyone does agree - but I think you will find wildly different meanings of "willing to work." What does that mean?

Of course many countries across the globe can make our goods cheaper. China was eating freakin dog before our corporations made them a huge economic engine and our next worst enemy. A chinaman can live a middleclass existence on 75 US a week. Clothes made in some countries are made by workers making 20cts thats twenty cents an hour. Are you kidding me trying to compare other countries to ours.

We live in a global economy - there is nothing unfair about viewing the world as such and making comparisons based on this fact.

State by state in the US the cost of living differs HUGELY, even corporations recognize that if your transferred to Calif or NY or NJ from Jabip texas they give you supplemental pay to make up the difference in COL. They give housing incentives so you can afford a house. My house in fla would cost 5 times more up north and you want to compare the cost of living and relate it to manufacturing in biafra, pakistan the phillipines india china and mexico are you serious.

Again, we live in a global economy. It is no longer a big deal to pack up shop and move to India (or anywhere). In fact many people retire overseas and seek out these lower cost of living areas. If for example you transferred from NYC - where you earned $200,000 a year to Texas where you earned $150,000 a year - would you view yourself as worse off? If you moved to China and earned $125,000 a year, are you worse off? In each of these cases you are probably better off.

The same theory applies to any company. If you can move overseas, employ the same level of talent, make the same product, and get a better return - why not do it?

The federal minimum wage assures americans will always need some kind of govt asst.

Why?

The right expects americans to work for 7.25 an hour minimum wage and pay for their own healthcare and save for their retirement and feed and house their kids, yeah sure. Then when you tell them that its impossible, their answer its their fault they work for minimum wage, they should better themselves. How? and what is there to aspire too ? the good jobs are in china for the working class.

As noted, very people workers actually earn minimum wage, and many of these are teenagers - who are not paying for healthcare, feeding kids, paying rent etc. All that aside, if you want to better yourself and your work situation, you need to improve your skillset.

On what planet is flipping a burger at McDonalds, or handing out soft drinks at Burger King worth $15/hr?

You skillsets set your wage. If you dropped out of high school, had several kids, and are an unskilled worker that is a shame - but it is also a choice that you made. Don't look to everyone else to pay for your own mistakes.


Listen conservatives not everyone can be rich and successful thats why they are called the 2%, if that were the case, no one would clean your house, cut your grass, fix your car, do your plumbing, come and save your ass when you call 911 and fight the next war for you, etc etc etc.

This is quite a warped viewpoint. I know many people who started out cleaning houses and mowing grass who now own their own cleaning companies and in some cases have over 50 employees of their own.
 
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Hey $10 an hour for unskilled workers is better then Collecting WELFARE-FOOD STAMPS-PUBLIC HOUSING that taxpayers have foot the bill. Make the Rich pay employees more
 
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