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Worker pay isn’t keeping up with inflation

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Re: Worker pay isn’t keeping up with inflation

#581

Post by missedthecue »

wing-_-nuts wrote: post #30
missedthecue wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why does the US, a society with low union membership rates have much higher median salaries both before and after taxes and government benefits than in Europe where there are lots of powerful unions? https://data.oecd.org/hha/household-disposable-income.htm

Are you subtracting wages lost to both employer AND employee contributions to health insurance, co-pays and the like? That's the only way it's a fair comparison. Hell, even if we do earn more after accounting for that, living in a society with universal healthcare is worth something all it's own.

Yes. From my link -

"Information is also presented including social transfers in kind, such as health or education provided for free or at reduced prices by governments and not-for-profit organisations."

Re: Worker pay isn’t keeping up with inflation

#582

Post by dfxm12 »

pydry wrote: post #545
shakezula wrote: post #519

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And the reason countries like NZ seem to be able to quickly and efficiently pass sweeping gun reform laws is because it’s not effecting any major gun producers bottom line. In America that is very much not the situation. Additionally, even if profits were a moot point, the 2nd amendment is a culture war wedge issue that runs bone-deep for the average American.

The gun industry started the culture war for profit and fans the flames for profit. Take away the profit margins and have a few more mass shootings and I imagine the 2nd amendment would melt away as easily as the 4th did.

A few more mass shootings? HA! A few more at this point would be like a raindrop in the ocean. It's obvious that's not a factor for anyone with any real political/legislative power here.

Re: Worker pay isn’t keeping up with inflation

#583

Post by greedo »

prepend wrote: post #446
deadbunny wrote: post #421

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How about the ability to drive around with GPS? Maps, and the ability to read them. > Or stay easily in touch with family living far away? Phones, you know good old land lines > Taking photos of your baby and having it stored on the cloud for free? Why do I need physical photos stored in the cloud? > The ability to learn almost anything for free? Have ya heard of libraries? Does technology make these more convenien…

Have you traveled using maps and GPS? They are very different, and not even comparable. It seems to me like comparing a shovel to a ditch digging machine. It is possible to navigate using maps. But not practical for the mass audience of GPS who can’t use maps. And impossible for the industries that require GPS (uber types). Technology is a multiplier that increases the returns on things my removing labor and letting…

When I was younger and lived in California, people had Thomas Guide maps. These were the best. As a pizza delivery dude in college, it made it pretty simple to find a house/apartment. And it didn't require batteries etc. Now it wasn't as easy as an iPhone with maps built in, but it wasn't like it was impossible.

Re: Worker pay isn’t keeping up with inflation

#584

Post by SuoDuanDao »

Jenk wrote: post #523
Veelox wrote: post #500

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Forget tolerance I want liberty back. What makes tolerance so good that it should be prioritized over everything else? I want everyone granted certain inalienable rights and then allowed to live how they want as long as they abide by their rights and the rights of others. If people want to use their right to vote, follow the process, and support something that others disagree with, that's liberty in action.

If you'll forgive the following.. what the hell is liberty without tolerance? You _need_ tolerance to accomodate liberty. Otherwise those who do not tolerate your liberty will prevent it.

Perhaps the answer is more ignorance. I doubt most of the political groups any of us worries about is actually as large and as ill-intentioned as we imagine, but rather than have no idea we always know just enough to feel in danger. Feeling in danger, we seek to control first and understand later, and that makes our political neighbours feel threatened, and so it goes until the centre cannot hold.

Perhaps the paradox of tolerance requires a deliberate agnosticism about how people unlike us live, a turning away from information that would turn us reactionary if we only had part of it. That used to be the default in an era of slow communication, but it could be cultivated deliberately if it's what's needed.

Re: Worker pay isn’t keeping up with inflation

#585

Post by fundad »

systemvoltage wrote: post #210

Just a few months ago you would be flagged on HN for mentioning inflation. Look up any threads on economy from March 2021 for example. I want to know why. Why was the HN diaspora not allowing dissent with the mainstream narrative? Mentioning inflation here was so harshly ridiculed, I was surprised the massive U-turn from the tech community. I saw the entire media changing the tune. That means no one here is thinking…

Remember questioning economic growth in 2018 and 2019 and you were accused of speaking g a recession into existence? I do. I guess nobody is paid to fight against speaking an inflation spiral into existence

Re: Worker pay isn’t keeping up with inflation

#586

Post by _fat_santa »

helen___keller wrote: post #522
wing-_-nuts wrote: post #20

We had an all-hands meeting recently where we got to submit anonymous questions. One of the questions was 'with inflation rising at 6%, will the company reconsider their 'standard' 2% raise?' The lady answering looks dead in the camera and goes 'Honestly? No' and goes on to talk about how we're reasonably competitive with the local market. Hey, credit where credit is due, at least she was a refreshingly straight shoo…

I worked for a midsize tech company until recently. At the end of 2020, I did well on my annual performance review but did not see a compensation increase. In the 2021 mid cycle review, I got a promotion to the next level and saw about a 7% compensation increase. At every all-hands since late 2020, the topic of attrition and comp comes up. Every time, the response was that they're keeping an eye on local market condi…

You know what sucks is that I'm currently with a similar midsize tech company. Love the work, the company and the people; but, I also know that I'm probably only getting a 2-5% bump at the end of this year and if I want anything more I have to go looking for another gig.

It sucks that every job has a "lifespan" of only 2-3 years before it would be foolish not to go get another job for a massive pay bump. As much as I love my current employer I'll probably leave sometime in 22"

Re: Worker pay isn’t keeping up with inflation

#587

Post by anotherman554 »

prepend wrote: post #446
deadbunny wrote: post #421

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How about the ability to drive around with GPS? Maps, and the ability to read them. > Or stay easily in touch with family living far away? Phones, you know good old land lines > Taking photos of your baby and having it stored on the cloud for free? Why do I need physical photos stored in the cloud? > The ability to learn almost anything for free? Have ya heard of libraries? Does technology make these more convenien…

Have you traveled using maps and GPS? They are very different, and not even comparable. It seems to me like comparing a shovel to a ditch digging machine. It is possible to navigate using maps. But not practical for the mass audience of GPS who can’t use maps. And impossible for the industries that require GPS (uber types). Technology is a multiplier that increases the returns on things my removing labor and letting…

You believe it's not practical to navigate without a GPS?

Watch an old movie-- like the Graduate, or the funny comedy it's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad world, people had maps and asked for directions at gas stations.

Re: Worker pay isn’t keeping up with inflation

#588

Post by 988747 »

shakezula wrote: post #519
pydry wrote: post #511

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because both parties are owned by oligarchs who would lose money if that happened. Minimum wage hikes chew through profits and profits are pretty much the #1 legislative priority because that's the primary concern of those doing the campaign financing. Same reason gun control wont happen no matter how many people get killed - ultimately its because gun manufacturers would lose money. American politics is the art of t…

And the reason countries like NZ seem to be able to quickly and efficiently pass sweeping gun reform laws is because it’s not effecting any major gun producers bottom line. In America that is very much not the situation. Additionally, even if profits were a moot point, the 2nd amendment is a culture war wedge issue that runs bone-deep for the average American.

The reason NZ can pass any gun law they want is that they do not have the right to own guns written into their Constitution. US are unique in this regard - most of the laws passed would be struck down by the Supreme Court anyway.

Re: Worker pay isn’t keeping up with inflation

#589

Post by kerneloftruth »

throwawaycities wrote: post #262
Gareth321 wrote: post #250

Real wages have been flat since the 1970s ( https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/07/for-most-us... ). "Okay, so people's living standards are about the same since 1970?" Not even close. The problem with inflation is that its calculation is fraught with all kinds of selective weighting, bias, and politics. Take a look at the relative differences between the things which have decreased and increased in cost in…

Glad this was the top comment. Wages have not kept up with cost of living for 50 years in the US. We need to stop pretending flat wages are some modern problem of inflation, and we need to stop pretending inflation is some problem caused by the pandemic.

The inflation was largely caused by bad government policy: distributing trillions of dollars into an economy as "stimulus" (i.e. American Rescue Plan) when it needed very little or none. Politicians demonstrate regularly that Economics is not knowledge many of them possess. They acted on emotion and pure political calculation, instead.

Re: Worker pay isn’t keeping up with inflation

#590

Post by bronzeage »

frankfrankfrank wrote: post #476
birdyrooster wrote: post #449

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When the federal government can dilute the value of money while giving tons of it to banks and mega corps as near free loans, it becomes inevitable that there is a transfer of wealth up from the bottom.

Something that needs to be at least pointed out is that there is a significant difference between money and currency. Currency is a kind of instrument, mostly to enable current, flow of money in an efficient, productive, and low cost manner to facilitate smooth economy of activities. The problem that we are now facing though is that the governments of the world have committed to defrauding the people, whether to cove…

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