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For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

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Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#41

Post by tombert »

cartercole wrote: post #11

The minimum wage should be 0 - sincerely any good economist

That's a common trope, but there have been studies indicating that minimum wage doesn't have a significant effect on unemployment. [0] [1]

Assuming that's accurate, then shouldn't we mandate that these corporations pay their workers a livable wage? If they don't pay the workers a livable wage, guess who does? The taxpayers, in the form of food stamps, welfare, and increased prison population. I really don't see why the American public should be forced to subsidize Walmart (or any large megacorporation) just because they won't pay their employees enough.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_wage#cite_note-104 [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_wage#cite_note-105

EDIT: Before anyone says it, I know forcing Walmart to pay more to their workers would increase the prices of their goods; that's still almost certainly cheaper than increasing welfare.

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#42

Post by [deleted] »

ngngngng wrote: post #4

I was reading the other day that typically mass shootings happen during a recession, and right now is a confusing time because the economy is supposedly doing fantastic, yet we keep having mass shootings. Could this have to do with the mounting inequality? It seems the standard indicators for the health of the economy are breaking because wealth just keeps pooling near the top. So what this study could be saying is,…

[deleted]

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#43

Post by zeroxfe »

emptybits wrote: post #21
gremlinsinc wrote: post #2

I wonder what would happen to the suicide rate with medicare for all, and creating a max-wage that is (avg of contractors + employees * 150), or something similar, w/ additional 'bonus' multipliers for increasing # of U.S. hired. UBI would also probably help. As a freelancer I've had some really slim months and depression hits hard when money is tight. There's a very direct correlation between income security, insecu…

Re/ medicare for all ... Canada has universal health care yet a very similar suicide rate to the USA.[1] Canada doesn't have a livable minimum wage either. Each province sets its own. There is talk of UBI experiments. [1] https://politicalcalculations.blogspot.com/2011/02/us-vs-can...

That's 2011 data. Most recent data is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_suicide_r...

* Global rate: 10.5 per 100,000 people * Canada rate: 10.4 per 100,000 people * US rate: 13.7 per 100,000 people

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#44

Post by lukifer »

gremlinsinc wrote: post #2

I wonder what would happen to the suicide rate with medicare for all, and creating a max-wage that is (avg of contractors + employees * 150), or something similar, w/ additional 'bonus' multipliers for increasing # of U.S. hired. UBI would also probably help. As a freelancer I've had some really slim months and depression hits hard when money is tight. There's a very direct correlation between income security, insecu…

> UBI would also probably help.

As the only candidate currently running on a UBI platform, Andrew Yang has argued that one of its benefits would be a reduction in economic anxiety, with ancillary benefits to health in the form of stress reduction and improved executive function, as well as lower rates of depression, suicide, and drug addiction.

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#45

Post by ComputerGuru »

I’m all for fair pay, even if it means things (products or services) become more expensive. But therein is the problem: If the minimum wage is ten dollars an hour and you’re making twelve dollars an hour, that’s very different from minimum wage being twelve dollars and you’re making twelve dollars. Raising the minimum doesn’t just give minimum wage earners more money, it simultaneously devalues the money they receive. Does it devalue it at a rate proportionate to how much more they now make (on paper)? I don’t know. We almost certainly have to increase it (x+n)% to realize a benefit that on paper would come from an x% increase alone.

Globalization and protectionism also play a role here, and are a critical factor in the answer (think global minimum wage vs local minimum wage).

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#46

Post by claudeganon »

gremlinsinc wrote: post #2

I wonder what would happen to the suicide rate with medicare for all, and creating a max-wage that is (avg of contractors + employees * 150), or something similar, w/ additional 'bonus' multipliers for increasing # of U.S. hired. UBI would also probably help. As a freelancer I've had some really slim months and depression hits hard when money is tight. There's a very direct correlation between income security, insecu…

There’s something obviously wrong with the U.S. because suicide is now the second leading cause of death among young people and has jumped 50+ percent since the Great Recession:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/06/opinion/suicide-young-peo...

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#47

Post by 0000011111 »

I see income inequality as a key issue here. I recently read the "Triumph of injustice" and came away with a changed view in our tax system. After reading the book, I now believe that any household with a net worth over $100 million should be subject to both an income and capital gains tax of 99%. In short folks with income come and or net worth at levels that surpass their ability to buy a life of finical security for several generations only increase income inequality.

High historically high levels of income inequality have torn countries apart.

https://wwnorton.com/books/the-triumph-of-injustice

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#48

Post by blakesterz »

adammunich wrote: post #36
crooked-v wrote: post #3

As the old saying goes: Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy a jet ski. And you never see an unhappy person riding a jet ski.

As someone with a jet ski, it is indeed hard to be unhappy on a jet ski.

I always heard the 2 greatest days of owning a jet ski are the first day, and the day you finally sell it. I've had several people say they get old REALLY fast. Kind of like pools, get a friend/neighbor with a pool and a jet ski, now THAT's happiness.

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#49

Post by lazyasciiart »

leetcrew wrote: post #7
gremlinsinc wrote: post #2

I wonder what would happen to the suicide rate with medicare for all, and creating a max-wage that is (avg of contractors + employees * 150), or something similar, w/ additional 'bonus' multipliers for increasing # of U.S. hired. UBI would also probably help. As a freelancer I've had some really slim months and depression hits hard when money is tight. There's a very direct correlation between income security, insecu…

my guess is an effective system of healthcare and/or UBI would decrease the suicide rate somewhat, because people wouldn't feel so helpless. I'm not sure that max wage algorithm creates a healthy incentive though. it would seem to encourage hiring more employees than necessary just to increase the executive's compensation. I think people can often tell when their job isn't really necessary and it probably doesn't fee…

It doesn't encourage hiring more employees - how would that affect the average employee pay? You just have to pay more to the ones you have.

Re: For suicide prevention, try raising the minimum wage, research suggests

#50

Post by jotm »

MuffinFlavored wrote: post #34
keeganjw wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The minimum wage should be livable - sincerely any good person

Livable to what extent? You should be able to afford food (what quality of food? do good people also believe everybody deserves to eat filet mignon/comparable on occasion?), transportation (which in some cases means car + gas + maintenance + insurance) + housing (what kind of housing? rent a room in a low cost area? have your own single family home?) + family (should you be encouraged to have 3 children aka mouths to…

Work hard for a living, even though it's minimum wage, knowing it's enough to support a life and family? Wasn't that the case 50 years ago? Too much to ask for today, I guess
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