• whotookkarl@lemmy.world
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      16 minutes ago

      I think the common sentiment is that minimum wage should be rated annually tied to a major factor on how much spending power that money has like inflation or productivity.

      Minimum wage started in 1938 at $0.25. if it kept up with inflation today that would be $5.59, which is far from enough to survive with even the most basic rent and groceries.

      “”" The dollar had an average inflation rate of 3.68% per year between 1938 and today, producing a cumulative price increase of 2,136.18%.“”"

      https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1938?amount=0.25

      Productivity however has decoupled from wages decades ago, here’s the EPI graph most reference:

      If we re-coupled those values for minimum wage today that would be much higher. 3 years ago CBS reported it would be about $26: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minimum-wage-26-dollars-economy-productivity/

      Where did that money go instead of paying fair wages?

    • celeste@kbin.earth
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      4 hours ago

      I’m seeing 21.50 from articles in 2020 tying min wage to productivity. Maybe that’s the number basis? Or living wage? A living wage per state adjustment for one adult with one child seems to put lw around 30 in a lot of states, with the single adult needing 13-20.

      • Bananigans@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        3 hours ago

        All good possible points, but only one person in this thread can answer what the number basis is, so who knows.

    • NegativeInf@lemmy.world
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      3 hours ago

      Because we’ve been arguing it should be at least 15 for 10 years, and inflation is a bitch and if federal minimum wage had tracked with inflation since it was implemented, it would be closer to 30 bucks an hour than to 15.

      • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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        9 hours ago

        And it should be all at once. The instant it’s passed, $30/hr. None of us got eased into it when gas prices and grocery prices and rent and health insurance went up.

      • Bananigans@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        5 hours ago

        I understand your sentiment, but if that’s your policy basis, you’d be asking for $10/hr instead of $15.

        Not necessarily a bad idea, I just wanted to know how that number was generated, because without that data, it’s not necessarily a good idea either.

          • Bananigans@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            5 hours ago

            If you read the comments, it’s actually not. Inflation alone doesn’t account for pinning wages near $30, so that’s not really a good explanation given that it’s nonfactual. Even if he’s considering the living wage instead of historical minimums, $30 is still about 30% higher than what an average living wage would be. Is there some other consideration he has that I’m missing? I wouldn’t know without asking due to an unfortunate lack of psychic powers.

            Anyways, sorry I asked for the policy reasoning behind a policy position. It clearly offended many, I realize my mistake, and won’t bring that kind of nonsense around here again.