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Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

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Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#131

Post by el_cid »

vorpalhex wrote: post #38
austincheney wrote: post #22

Before people comment too much about wage inequality consider for a moment that this ins't a feudal state where people are locked into role and wage limits outside their control. I am a software developer for one of the larger companies and also an Army Reservist. When I go away to do Army stuff I frequently encounter people who work much harder and earn much less than I do in their civilian jobs. Is that fair? I wou…

I'm a high paid software engineer. I also had amazing computer teachers and remember writing BASIC programs to play MIDI in elementary. I also have the advantage of living in the city, being a white male, and being young and social. Being a software engineer requires a particular mindset, a lot of time and exposure, and people willing to support that. I was lucky enough to have all of the above, but most folks do not…

And what you are proposing for your friend, after all these years of struggle for a better tomorrow - is to make the same amount of money as he did as a welder?

There are 2 sides to this. And the positive side of having something to work towards is usually not mentioned.

I can give you an example from Europe, in a country which is homogeneous ethnically. We all went to the same public schools and we had the same opportunities. At 30 - some of us make more than 10 times than others. There is no system of oppression which caused this. It was simply the market which has imposed this difference. And the market is at an equilibrium - because the people who earn higher wages, pay a LOT of money for healthcare, the social pension system and other social security things. If the gov would increase this further in order to close the "gap" between high earners and the have-nots/less, the high earners would just leave the country (they already do this to a degree).

Why not let the market decide? This is not about privilege and oppression and I am surprised that over the pond people have not learned from Europe's history.

There is also the side that by having a system in place that rewards effort - people strive for more everyday and this leads to prosperity. This country has been under communism and during those times no one was struggling for anything, because they were paid just the same.

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#132

Post by baby »

austincheney wrote: post #97
baby wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does it mean these people should “survive” on such a salary? Is that what you are saying?

In short, yes. If a person does not like that amount of money, which is well below a skilled profession, then they should feel sufficiently motivated to devote time to developing a skill. I know that may sound cold, but it is just a reflection of basic economics.

I think this is just a reflection of the mentality in the US.

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#133

Post by baby »

jaysonelliot wrote: post #13
nathanaldensr wrote: post #2

This is a great article for demonstrating how mean and median can be used to manipulate perception.

Median is the appropriate measure to use if you're looking at the overall pay of a company's workforce. Average/mean is disproportionately influenced by a small number of highly paid employees. In this case, the article is clearly demonstrating that despite Amazon's commanding market share, incredible wealth, and the largess bestowed upon their executives, some of their workforce is so poorly paid that they may not e…

> Median is the appropriate measure to use if you're looking at the overall pay of a company's workforce.

I would disagree with that. Imagine this dataset of salaries:

[1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10]

You have around half employees being paid like shit (1) and half being paid well (10), but the median will show a good salary (10).

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#134

Post by piva00 »

Bromskloss wrote: post #130
piva00 wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And that is your problem, your basic economics doesn't necessarily need to be the only way that the world works. Marketable skills should be better paid? Of course. Should it pay 10~15x more to be writing scripts at Google than to be frying burgers at some place? I don't think so. If you care about people you should care that everyone has a minimum liveable wage, not that some should suffer because they can't/won't l…

> Should it pay 10~15x more to be writing scripts at Google than to be frying burgers at some place? What is this "should" you speak of?

Should as in "is it ethical and responsible for a society to have this kind of imbalance?".

I sincerely don't understand if this was a jab towards me on some kind of "invisible hand of the market" argument or the complete opposite.

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#135

Post by piva00 »

darepublic wrote: post #121
piva00 wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And that is your problem, your basic economics doesn't necessarily need to be the only way that the world works. Marketable skills should be better paid? Of course. Should it pay 10~15x more to be writing scripts at Google than to be frying burgers at some place? I don't think so. If you care about people you should care that everyone has a minimum liveable wage, not that some should suffer because they can't/won't l…

What if minimum wage causes less people to be hired.

Why that doesn't happen in a bunch of other developed economies then? What makes the US so special and different?

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#136

Post by Bromskloss »

piva00 wrote: post #134
Bromskloss wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Should it pay 10~15x more to be writing scripts at Google than to be frying burgers at some place? What is this "should" you speak of?

Should as in "is it ethical and responsible for a society to have this kind of imbalance?". I sincerely don't understand if this was a jab towards me on some kind of "invisible hand of the market" argument or the complete opposite.

> I sincerely don't understand if this was a jab towards me on some kind of "invisible hand of the market" argument or the complete opposite.

Between those two, it was the former. What I mean is that I don't see that people are obliged (_i.e._ should) trade with each other at all. If they nevertheless choose to do so, I don't see that every good or service should cost the same, or have a maximum difference in price.

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#137

Post by darepublic »

piva00 wrote: post #135
darepublic wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What if minimum wage causes less people to be hired.

Why that doesn't happen in a bunch of other developed economies then? What makes the US so special and different?

For the purpose of discussion do you mind giving me an example of such a country

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#138

Post by pravinva »

piva00 wrote: post #115
austincheney wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In short, yes. If a person does not like that amount of money, which is well below a skilled profession, then they should feel sufficiently motivated to devote time to developing a skill. I know that may sound cold, but it is just a reflection of basic economics.

And that is your problem, your basic economics doesn't necessarily need to be the only way that the world works. Marketable skills should be better paid? Of course. Should it pay 10~15x more to be writing scripts at Google than to be frying burgers at some place? I don't think so. If you care about people you should care that everyone has a minimum liveable wage, not that some should suffer because they can't/won't l…

Some perspective please. At 14 dollars an hour, these workers are in the top 1 percentof all human beings on earth. Privileged, even, one could say

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#139

Post by pravinva »

ddingus wrote: post #98
elicash wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The number is meant to manipulate you into clicking the article based on the belief that Amazon is unfairly compensating its employees. How is it manipulative to report on median pay for a company? This is as straightforwardly reported as possible, and not at all click-baity or manipulative. We shouldn't be afraid of basic facts that actually capture important information in an objective way. It's not a misleading…

Right. Amazon, right along with other big players are not paying people well enough to make it. Increasing numbers of them don't, and that costs all of us while eroding demand needed for the economy to grow and perform for all of us. In a very real sense, failure to fund a better, more equitable, just standard of living means it won't exist at all. Flat out, it is unacceptable to make billions while a majority are on…

Demand is eroding? Any data to back up the wildly made up fact?

Re: Amazon worker’s median pay in 2017: $28,446

#140

Post by pravinva »

sharemywin wrote: post #105
lotsofpulp wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the context of an employer paying an employee, worth/cost/price/value are all interchangeable. What did it cost to have that pipe fixed? Was it worth it to use contractor A versus contractor B (implied is was the price for A better than price for B given output)?

I feel you could value something more than what you pay for it. It's a >= if you pay for it. It's < if you don't.

Value is always subjective. That's why both the seller and buyer gain in voluntary transactions. Eg. If you sell your used car for 2000, it means that you value 2000 in cash more than the old car. The buyer thinks the old car is better than holding 2000 in cash. Thus the exchange benefits both. Adding value to both. The price is the same, but there are no losers. The same logic applies to voluntary job contracts ( non slavery). You don't have to like the salary, but that's your least worst option. economics has a term for it called 'substitute'. We all prefer to use the better substitute among choices in front of us. Doesn't mean the choice is the perfect one or a dream job.or even a living wage, just that that's the least worst option. also wages aren't determined by the capitalist plutocrats, it's determined by among others, competition between workers and their opportunity costs
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