Minimum wage workers cannot afford rent in any U.S. state
1–10 of 147 posts
Re: Minimum wage workers cannot afford rent in any U.S. state
#2SlateStarCodex on why this is deceptive:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200303232829/https://slatestar...
Re: Minimum wage workers cannot afford rent in any U.S. state
#3Am I misreading this: the conclusion is that the lowest earners cannot afford 40th percentile rents?
Re: Minimum wage workers cannot afford rent in any U.S. state
#4SlateStarCodex on why this is deceptive: https://web.archive.org/web/20200303232829/https://slatestar...
That appears to be debunking an entirely separate graph with different numbers and likely different flaws.
Re: Minimum wage workers cannot afford rent in any U.S. state
#5There's an important caveat, before everyone jumps on the title by itself:
> The report, released Tuesday, defines “affordable” as spending no more than 30% of monthly income on rent, in line with what most budgeting experts recommend.
The second caveat is this is rent for a 2 bedroom apartment; though they do say that it's also ~95% of 1 bedroom apartments. No comment is made on studio apartments or having roommates.
EDIT: The full report this article is based upon: https://reports.nlihc.org/sites/default/files/oor/OOR_BOOK_2...
Re: Minimum wage workers cannot afford rent in any U.S. state
#6Minimum wage workers should mainly be teenagers, young single people, and other dependents who don't need to live alone or for a family, and for whom minimum wage makes sense while they advance in careers. I honestly don't care if minimum wage means you can afford rent.
I'm most interested in what percentage of those with dependents are working minimum wage jobs and what percentage of those that started out with minimum wage jobs have been unable to increase their earnings. MY guess is that these numbers are also terrible, but this is the thing to get down.
We need to remove minimum wage laws and instead focus on making sure those with dependents and a need to live by themselves have wage growth through their lifetimes. It is no scandal if a young person makes little money at a time in their life when it is okay to live with family or with roommates.
Re: Minimum wage workers cannot afford rent in any U.S. state
#7Minimum wage workers should mainly be teenagers, young single people, and other dependents who don't need to live alone or for a family, and for whom minimum wage makes sense while they advance in careers. I honestly don't care if minimum wage means you can afford rent. I'm most interested in what percentage of those with dependents are working minimum wage jobs and what percentage of those that started out with mini…
"Minimum wage workers should mainly be..."
Because you say so? Or do you have thoughts on specific policies that will make this true? Because currently, many people who need to support a household rely on minimum wage jobs (or close to it), and often without guaranteed full time hours and no health insurance.
Re: Minimum wage workers cannot afford rent in any U.S. state
#8Is minimum wage workers affording an average 1-2 bedroom apartment with no other householders a goal we have set? The French minimum wage is 1,521 euro per month. 30% of that is 456 euros, or about $513. According to the underlying study, the average 1BR in Alabama is $665. Is housing in France, on average, really that much cheaper than Alabama?
I don’t think these abstract targets are very helpful. According to the OECD, the US has some of the most affordable housing in the world: https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/economics/the-average-oecd-ho... (showing percentage of disposable income left after housing costs).
Also, the demand for a “federal affordable housing policy” is pretty breathtaking. Look at the list of states that have the least affordable housing: New York, Massachusetts, etc. A federal program would basically mean bureaucrats from these states would be imposing housing policy on the whole country. That sounds like a great idea!
Re: Minimum wage workers cannot afford rent in any U.S. state
#9Minimum wage workers should mainly be teenagers, young single people, and other dependents who don't need to live alone or for a family, and for whom minimum wage makes sense while they advance in careers. I honestly don't care if minimum wage means you can afford rent. I'm most interested in what percentage of those with dependents are working minimum wage jobs and what percentage of those that started out with mini…
Hmm wonder why you are getting downvoted for a well-written question about what data is important.
Re: Minimum wage workers cannot afford rent in any U.S. state
#10Is minimum wage workers affording an average 1-2 bedroom apartment with no other householders a goal we have set? The French minimum wage is 1,521 euro per month. 30% of that is 456 euros, or about $513. According to the underlying study, the average 1BR in Alabama is $665. Is housing in France, on average, really that much cheaper than Alabama? I don’t think these abstract targets are very helpful. According to the…
Look at it from the other direction.
Is working 40 hours per week but not being able to afford a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment a goal we want to set? If so, we have achieved it!
I think most of us like the idea that if you put in 40 hours of work every week, regardless of the specific job, you are able to afford a basic standard of living.