Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I would include anything under $12-$13/hr in the min wage category myself. Only reason I say that is after (crappy) health insurance premiums and taxes, you're not really taking home very much money after you factor in the rising cost of car insurance, fuel, electricity, etc.
A teenager would be able to make less and make it worth their time but someone older like an adult? $12/hr in my state, with the 2011 average health insurance premium of $183/month, is just shy of $1300/month after taxes. That would be about the minimum that one could live on in most cities/towns IMO. I made that in 2005 when gas was $1.50/gal and electric rates were around $0.08/kwh, and I was paying $50/month for AWESOME BC/BS $15/co-pay health insurance.
Yea, maybe not minimum wage, but sub 10 an hour might as well be minimum wage. Either way it can't pay for anything. And until you get to 12 an hour, you can't live on it. And this is assuming it's full time.
The reality is, if this is the best some can get in terms of salary, they will either need to reduce expenses dramatically or work 2 jobs.
what i am seeing now is truely scary. nothing but min wage here and rent is 1000 bucks a month.
just for the record in 1969 i was working @ a steel mill making 13.50 an hr (unskilled labor pool work) plus ot plus shift inventive pay. rent was 80 a month and gas was 29 cents a gallon.
i could buy a weeks worth of groceries for 11 bucks at target.
at that cost of living, i only had to work 4.5 months a year.
my college university tuition was 100 a semester. books used were about 20 bucks each. student debt was zero.
what i am seeing now is truely scary. nothing but min wage here and rent is 1000 bucks a month.
just for the record in 1969 i was working @ a steel mill making 13.50 an hr (unskilled labor pool work) plus ot plus shift inventive pay. rent was 80 a month and gas was 29 cents a gallon.
i could buy a weeks worth of groceries for 11 bucks at target.
at that cost of living, i only had to work 4.5 months a year.
my college university tuition was 100 a semester. books used were about 20 bucks each. student debt was zero.
It is scary. I know skilled labor that would jump at that. Many college grads would jump at that as well. Heck, I see them coming into the bigger factories for less.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
