American life is improving for the lowest paid
economist.com
American life is improving for the lowest paid
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Re: American life is improving for the lowest paid
#2Headline: "American life is improving for the lowest paid; Come back capitalism, all is forgiven"
Article: Low unemployment means anyone can find a job.
"By last year, the poorest 10% were still earning only a miserly 4.1% more per hour than they did (in real wages) 40 years ago. Median hourly pay for America’s workers was up a little more, by 14%."
"Low- and middle-income households remain anxious about volatile earnings. Most have almost no savings. Many would struggle with a financial shock of just a few hundred dollars."
"Lots of jobs that are being created are in or near flourishing cities like Madison, where low-paid workers are squeezed by high housing costs. Pew has estimated that 38% of all tenant households spend at least 30% of their income on rent."
"Katherine Cramer, who studies the long-standing causes of simmering anger among poorer, rural Americans, says “resentment is worse than before”, despite the recent better wages. Rural folk complain that “it’s been like this for decades”, she says. A year or two catching up has not yet been enough to change their minds."
Re: American life is improving for the lowest paid
#3As always, it's probably improving in some ways, getting worse in others.
I didn't have access to the whole article but the first three paragraphs that I read didn't really inspire confidence.
Also the claim isn't that it's not getting better but that it's not getting better as fast as it is for the rest of the economy.
Re: American life is improving for the lowest paid
#4"What’s really rare, he adds, is his annual week of paid holiday"
I may be getting it wrong as I don't live in US, but does it mean he only gets one week of holidays per year? Is there any other form of paid off time?
Re: American life is improving for the lowest paid
#5"What’s really rare, he adds, is his annual week of paid holiday" I may be getting it wrong as I don't live in US, but does it mean he only gets one week of holidays per year? Is there any other form of paid off time?
Correct. US companies don’t have to give any paid time off. It’s as bad as it sounds.
Re: American life is improving for the lowest paid
#6"What’s really rare, he adds, is his annual week of paid holiday" I may be getting it wrong as I don't live in US, but does it mean he only gets one week of holidays per year? Is there any other form of paid off time?
Usually, low-skill hourly wage service jobs in the US have no paid leave, at all.
If you work N hours, you get paid for N hours.
That’s why getting one week of paid leave annually was described as rare.
Re: American life is improving for the lowest paid
#7"What’s really rare, he adds, is his annual week of paid holiday" I may be getting it wrong as I don't live in US, but does it mean he only gets one week of holidays per year? Is there any other form of paid off time?
>I may be getting it wrong as I don't live in US, but does it mean he only gets one week of holidays per year?
Yes, and even that is a rarity for wage workers.
>Is there any other form of paid off time?
Nope. Most hourly workers are lucky to get a few unpaid sick days. Have an accident, or get sick and need to spend a couple weeks in the hospital? Now you're unemployed and bankrupt.
Re: American life is improving for the lowest paid
#8If you want to read the entire article:
Re: American life is improving for the lowest paid
#9"What’s really rare, he adds, is his annual week of paid holiday" I may be getting it wrong as I don't live in US, but does it mean he only gets one week of holidays per year? Is there any other form of paid off time?
I believe in theory they don't have to give any paid time off, no vacation, no sick days. I once was offered a job in NYC with 5 days vacation, increasing to 10 after a few years. I said "No, thank you". I can't even imagine how it is to work like that.
Re: American life is improving for the lowest paid
#10"What’s really rare, he adds, is his annual week of paid holiday" I may be getting it wrong as I don't live in US, but does it mean he only gets one week of holidays per year? Is there any other form of paid off time?
I know it sounds crazy, it's because it is. Working in the US SUCKS for everyone.