Australia's minimum wage: US$15... Wow! (unemployment rate, healthcare, death, millionaire)

[Jesus loves you]

Australia raised their minimum wage to AUD 16.37 (U.S. $15) recently, and their unemployment rate is only 5.7%. Australian's also have business-friendly environment, weeks of paid vacation, national healthcare & they work less.

U.S. current minimum wage is $7.25 (Some states slightly higher) with 7.6% unemployment rate.

Isn't it time to raise the U.S. minimum wage? It is very low for 2013!

Higher wage = More $ to spend.

No, prices wouldn't necessary go up. Perhaps maybe slightly smaller paycheck for multimillionaire and billionaire CEO's?

[shooting4life]

Higher minimum wage means higher priced goods means people will still only be able to purchase the same amount of crap.

[cap1717]

The U.S. is on a path to becoming a 3rd world country! Conservatism, as a balance with Liberalism may be fine and appropriate, but the "backward thinking" and outright lies of the extreme right are destroying all of us!

[lifeexplorer]

Originally Posted by shooting4life

Higher minimum wage means higher priced goods means people will still only be able to purchase the same amount of crap.

Then we should raise the minimum wage even higher so that people can make a decent living.

[jmking]

Originally Posted by Jesus loves you

Australia raised their minimum wage to AUD 16.37 (U.S. $15) recently, and their unemployment rate is only 5.7%.

U.S. current minimum wage is $7.25 (Some states slightly higher) with 7.6% unemployment rate.

Isn't it time to raise the U.S. minimum wage? It is very low for 2013!

Higher wage = More $ to spend.

Eliminate wages all together. That way our employment rate should drop to near zero. We'll starve to death, but that's ok.

[Jesus loves you]

Originally Posted by shooting4life

Higher minimum wage means higher priced goods means people will still only be able to purchase the same amount of crap.

Not true. CEO's should cut some of their multimillion dollar paychecks.

[plwhit]

Originally Posted by Jesus loves you

Australia raised their minimum wage to AUD 16.37 (U.S. $15) recently, and their unemployment rate is only 5.7%.

U.S. current minimum wage is $7.25 (Some states slightly higher) with 7.6% unemployment rate.

Isn't it time to raise the U.S. minimum wage? It is very low for 2013!

Higher wage = More $ to spend.

I guess you've never worked or still in college....

Their unemployment rate is lower because their industries are not strangled by tree hugger regulations like American companies....

Along with the higher wages comes higher income taxes.....

Income tax in Australia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

They also pay VAT taxes (amongst many others)

Higher wage = getting back to 1980 personal spending levels

[Jesus loves you]

Originally Posted by plwhit

I guess you don't work....

Along with the higher wages comes higher income taxes.....

Income tax in Australia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

They also pay VAT taxes (amongst many others)

Higher wage = getting back to 1980 personal spending levels

Minimum wage workers still have more money in their pocket than average minimum wage worker in the U.S. no matter the taxes. Some states have high income tax as well.

VAT/Sales tax in Australia is 10%, included in price tag. Not that high.

[charolastra00]

And they have universal healthcare, much lower cost of higher education, and a very business-friendly environment. All while being a very diverse nation.

What is Australia doing right that we are doing so wrong?

[shooting4life]

Originally Posted by lifeexplorer

Then we should raise the minimum wage even higher so that people can make a decent living.