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 mean, for the longest time I can recall, $15/hr was pretty good money, especially for starting out. Heck, it would be too bad for a guy that had been in many fields for 5-8 years.
When did it become some inadequate that it only met the "survival" threshold?
From what I read, a couple of decades ago, $1.50/hr was survival wages. How did it go up tenfold?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,585 posts, read 81,186,228 times
Reputation: 57821
Quote:
Originally Posted by joe from dayton
$1.50 an hour was far from being a survival wage a couple of decades ago.
I don't know where the OP lives where it's so cheap, but I made $1.75/hour at my first job at age 14, in 1966! In college in the early 70s, I made $3. That was 43 years ago. I had a business "a couple of decades ago" and was paying my employees $7 to start.
My first job in 1997 was at Target bringing in carts in the middle of nowhere in the Midwest and I made about $7/hour if I recall. That was 2 decades ago for those who aren't good at math.
Nothing wrong with a $15 starting wage in 80% of the landmass in the country.. it's when places try to start out at $10-12 for repetitive blue collar gruntwork that it becomes a joke. That was a mediocre starting wage 10 years ago.... granted we haven't seen massive inflation since then.
I was making $11.33 when I quit my grocery store job in 2004 which I had started as a 14 year old 8 years prior for $4.25/hour, spent a few years doing slave labor work making storm doors for less money before I got the job I've had since 2007 and make $22.18 plus 4 shift rotation premium. Starting wage is $14.50 here, but you can move up to $18+ fairly quickly. No state income tax (South Dakota) .. highest paying blue collar work in town.
My father got laid off after 35 years from a chemical plant he worked at, where he made $26/hour at the very end, and the people he knows say that the job market these days sucks at least in Eastern WI.. they want to work you to the bone for peanuts.. it's not like it was during the 70's and 80's finding low skilled work... good luck even finding an employer that will even be around 30 years these days. I will say, the plant I work at will be around in 50+ years.. I can retire here, if I want.
My first job in 1997 was at Target bringing in carts in the middle of nowhere in the Midwest and I made about $7/hour if I recall. That was 2 decades ago for those who aren't good at math.
Man, lucky! I started as a cart pusher at a union grocer in 1998 and made $5.15/hr.
I mean, for the longest time I can recall, $15/hr was pretty good money, especially for starting out. Heck, it would be too bad for a guy that had been in many fields for 5-8 years.
When did it become some inadequate that it only met the "survival" threshold?
From what I read, a couple of decades ago, $1.50/hr was survival wages. How did it go up tenfold?
Its just the socialists trying to play God , ignore them.
They're paving the road to hell for any fool who listens to them.
I make $16 hr, I have 40 yrs experience and have highly developed skills but thats the going wage in this field. I owned businesses for 30 yrs, I know what the going rate is and why it is.
I could double my wage by working in a large corp environment but greatly prefer small business for the freedom it grants.
All they're going to accomplish is the elimination of their own jobs.
Fast food is introducing self order/serve. Adios $15 hr all those fast food jobs.
The biggest problem is things that were once luxuries are now considered necessities by many. The latest smart phone, cable, brand name clothes/shoes, etc... (You need a cell phone, but your entire family does not need the newest, most expensive cell phone.)
When I moved out on my own in 2003, making around $7-8/hr, I had a one bedroom apartment on my own. No cable. A lot of PB&J and ramen noodles.
Its just the socialists trying to play God , ignore them.
They're paving the road to hell for any fool who listens to them.
I make $16 hr, I have 40 yrs experience and have highly developed skills but thats the going wage in this field. I owned businesses for 30 yrs, I know what the going rate is and why it is.
I could double my wage by working in a large corp environment but greatly prefer small business for the freedom it grants.
All they're going to accomplish is the elimination of their own jobs.
Fast food is introducing self order/serve. Adios $15 hr all those fast food jobs.
Damn $16 for 40 years experience...in Boston??
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.
