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Here in the U.S. we may be experiencing job growth and an economic recovery, however many of the new jobs that have been added do not pay well, are part-time positions, or do not provide benefits. Are there other developed countries that are recovering from the recession that are actually adding middle class or higher wage jobs, and what are they doing different than the US? Also all of these low wage jobs that the U.S. is adding, how do other developed countries handle these positions? Does an entry level retail job at a supermarket in Europe for example, tend to pay more and provide more benefits that what someone would receive in the US?
Economic growth doesn't always translate into a high standard of living. There was a lot of economic growth during the 80s and 90s while it also involved a lot of stripping of companies, lowering of wages and loss of pensions, social services etc. Wages have been pretty stagnant for the most part despite a couple of spikes but productivity has risen, workers just aren't seeing the gains of it.
all of these low wage jobs that the U.S. is adding...
...are 1) less than full time some (many very less) 2) have no benefits of any sort
and 3) will not be held long by almost any of the hires. Warm bodies churning.
Quote:
Does an entry level retail job at a supermarket in Europe for example...
Actually lead to a real training program with planned advancement
and include their national medical program and retirement plans? Yeah, they do.
Yes, one can certainly find countries where workers are getting a better deal. They are also paying higher taxes, but thay have no real reason to mind that. Still, a better picture of what's going on here might come from looking at gross numbers rather than net. For instance a total of 4,441K Americans started a new job in May of this year. 4,323K Americans left one. The difference of 118K doesn't suiggest the complexity of what's actually going on.
Wealth sharing has done pretty much what it was mean to do. that is make government the middleman be tween business and worker. The government has increased wealth by its programs for the lowest income levels while reducing what the middle class gets. A example is the recent healthcare bill. It means perhaps ahs much as a 13K increase to lowest income while at same time not reducing middle class who got it a longtime ago from their employers. hat might change in due time tho. At same time those who did not share in the transfer have actually done better often .The burden for that wealth sharing is on higher income levels which means they will look to reduce cost overall to fund it. There is no magic as there never has been.
Most European countries have sane economic and fiscal policies that do not permit unlimited spending to maintain foreign empires. Instead of paying military contractors they pay for citizen's health care.
It's the same virtually everywhere in OECD countries, especially in the west. Governments are reducing spending, domestic demand for final consumption goods has dried up. This and the financial aspects of this recession have flowed down to all industries, those producing for both foreign and export markets. Job recovery everywhere is slow or flat. In poorer countries, developed and undeveloped, people are migrating, legally and illegally, to places where there are low-paying jobs that the local population is unwilling to accept. And immigrants are benefitting, while members of the locally unemployed domestic population are angry and pushing for changes in immigration laws.
double digit unemployment (Spain is projected to hit 28%), with incurably high youth unemployment.
A blind man would be a better umpire than the EU a model of economic success.
Spain's unemployment numbers dropped last much, thanks to increases in seasonally related jobs. Spain's unemployment rate for young people is about double the average. Many are migrating to places where their employment prospects are better. However, as you note, pickings are slim in the rest of the EU, as well.
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