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Australia is expensive compared to the US/Canada for almost everything
North Americans make the same complaints about European countries, overlooking that people at the bottom in these "expensive" countries earn significantly more.
North Americans make the same complaints about European countries, overlooking that people at the bottom in these "expensive" countries earn significantly more.
North Americans make the same complaints about European countries, overlooking that people at the bottom in these "expensive" countries earn significantly more.
In the US, they do have a federal minimum wage but they also have state minimum wages and even city minimum wages where some places like Seattle will reach $15.00 in increments.
What the US does have is some states with no minimum wage, and they go by the federal one...with some exceptions for servers etc.
The other thing about minimum wage jobs, is that the vast majority are in the service industry. These people collect tips and since the tipping culture is prevalent in Canada and the US, these workers end up making much more that servers in Australia overall...sometimes as undeclared income.
The issue for me is when the minimum wage jobs aren't jobs where one gets tips.
Don't pretend that US minimum wage jobs are tipped. Tipped jobs have that special below minimum wage wage. Minimum wage or very low paying ($10 and below) jobs are in retail, fast food, cleaning, etc. They are not tipped.
And the very very few, cities where a $15 wage is being proposed (Seattle, and are there any others?) are rare and it's contentious.
Don't pretend that US minimum wage jobs are tipped. Tipped jobs have that special below minimum wage wage. Minimum wage or very low paying ($10 and below) jobs are in retail, fast food, cleaning, etc. They are not tipped.
And the very very few, cities where a $15 wage is being proposed (Seattle, and are there any others?) are rare and it's contentious.
I'm not pretending. If you read my post it mentions both tipped and untipped jobs. In fact my last line stated "The issue for me is when the minimum wage jobs aren't jobs where one gets tips.'
If you would have read the link I posted re US, you would of seen the other places where $15 has been enacted or will be. For instance all of New York State,and slowly California.
Is it enough, no, but the point of my post was to counter the poster who gave the impression that the US minimum was was $7.30 WITHOUT mentioning the huge fluctuations between states.
I don't think you can really generalize as easily as that.
For example, at my local supermarket you can buy a can of sardines for the equivalent of 1.22 USD, 2.42 USD or 0.48USD depending on brand - the 48 cent can actually being about 20% larger than the most expensive. So which would your friend choose?
Not really a fair comparison as Adelaide is like the cheapest major city in Australia and Vancouver is like the most expensive major city in Canada. Compare cost of living including housing costs alone in Adelaide to Halifax or Winnipeg.
It's using the US federal minimum wage, which is a minimum federally. It doesn't take into account states with higher min wages.
Also if two people are making $15 dollars per hour in Australia and get paid for an 8 hour day, that's $240 BEFORE taxes and deductions. Where are the stats on different deductions and tax rates in each country.
So far, it seem a rather silly chart.
I'm not trying to say the situation in the US is better, but the chart is rather vague on those details.
It's using the US federal minimum wage, which is a minimum federally. It doesn't take into account states with higher min wages.
I made a mistake earlier by overlooking the differences across states and provinces in the U.S. and Canada.
That being said, my initial point stands. Australians can afford their higher cost of living because even people at the bottom earn a decent wage. That is precisely why tipping is less common.
Exactly. Your friend decides to buy more expensive food. Lots of people do that. They have the money, they buy expensive food because they like it.
Prepackaged food and drinks are more expensive than fresh, yes. That is the way it should be, it doesn't make Australian food more expensive, it makes Americans lazy and ill nourished.
Not all prepackaged food is unhealthy. I don't know where you get that idea from.
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