Are these prices from 1999? Where in the US can you get anywhere close to these rates? Certainly not near any major city.
Minimum wage isn't survivable anymore
Submitted 2 weeks ago by sanitation@lemmy.today to workreform@lemmy.world
https://lemmy.today/pictrs/image/03e3bcda-71ba-4689-911a-cc2ed29f3928.jpeg
Comments
BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Deconceptualist@leminal.space 2 weeks ago
Great Lakes rust belt. Okay well maybe rent is actually $2200 and utilities are $450, but the others aren’t too far off if you put in the work to find deals. That only leaves you what, $600 in debt each month? Not so bad for one of the most affordable major urbanized regions, right? /s
scytale@piefed.zip 2 weeks ago
I’m in a major city with lots of tech companies and getting unaffordable every year. Having said that, utilities, phone, and internet are doable, BUT with caveats:
You can still find a $1200 1-BR apartment, but it might not be in a great area in the city. So I agree this is not ideal even though it’s possible.
You can spend less than $100 on electricity and water in a 1-bedroom apartment because the utility provider is regulated. Once you get out of their coverage (outside city limits), it gets expensive pretty quick. My monthly bill back when I was living in an apartment was around $60-$70.
Fiber internet (500 Mbps) can be as low as $30-$45. You just have to keep calling every renewal either to ask for a promo rate, or threaten to switch so they offer to get you back to the introductory price. I hate that it has to be like this, but it’s possible.
A pre-paid carrier like Mint or US Mobile can cost as low as $15 a month, but you’ll have limited data. If you don’t really need much internet while out and about, then it won’t really be much of an issue.
Transportation is definitely the problem, and $300 a month won’t cut it. Public transpo barely exists and you’ll likely have a car payment and insurance, which will eat up your monthly budget. And yeah, $350 for food isn’t enough anymore.
BassTurd@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
This isn’t in any way a defence of low wages, but phone, internet, and food can all be had for cheaper depending on location, and if public transportation or close walking proximity to resources and employment are available, that can be significantly less too.
That still leaves too little extra to do any activities that cost money, survive an emergency situation, or save for retirement.
daychilde@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Hampton Roads, VA. I’m in Newport News. $1375 for a two bedroom apartment, although water/sewer is nearly $200/mo and electric is around that as well. We’re barely scraping by.
vrek@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
I live in a suburb of a large city. These might be higher since it’s me, gf, and kid. Rent with all included fees: 1850
Utilities(basically just electric): 200-400 per month depending on weather
Phone : 40 per month(had to buy phone out of pocket first)
Food: 400-600 recently with only groceries no eating out
Transportation(gas for car): 100 minimum
Car insurance: 275 (no tickets, 1 accident 4 years ago but I was found 0% at fault)
Car payment: 350 (paid off next month)
Total(check my math I did it in my head) 3250 per month for essentials
voytrekk@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
I live in a decent sized city in the US and I would say the only thing low might be transportation. Rent here can be lower, so they would offset.
Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
Federal minimum is still $7.25
Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Whoever wrote the meme lives in a blue state that increased it, and will never think to care about any of the permanent underclass of flyover morlocks in other states.
Fluke@feddit.uk 2 weeks ago
… Who keep voting in people who make no secret of actively wanting to make their lives worse because they promise to hurt the outsiders of constantly varying form.
Stupid does as stupid is.
hraegsvelmir@ani.social 2 weeks ago
And in the state of Wyoming, you can actually have a minimum wage below the federal minimum, of a mighty $5.15/hour. I don’t know how common it it, as I think a business can’t get away with it if they receive any federal funding, but it is technically legal for them to pay you less than $7.25/hour in some circumstances, aside from the lower wage for tipped workers.
BeardededSquidward@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 weeks ago
That’s the neat thing, it isn’t for us.
My boss makes a dollar, I make a dime,
This rhyme comes from a different time,
My boss makes a dollar, I make a cent,
That’s why I can no longer afford rent.
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net 2 weeks ago
Huh, I always thought a dime was $0.01
Mulligrubs@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
The federal minimum wage is $7.25.
… and many are paid much, much less than that, like working prisoners, making less than a dollar an hour.
… and also many farm workers are paid much, much less than federal minimum.
Millions of people. The more you look, the more people you will find making laughable wages.
doingthestuff@lemy.lol 2 weeks ago
Most jobs in my area pay $11-$13. It isn’t $7, but it isn’t $15 either. Also, who can manage transportation on $300? I spend that much in fuel. This meme paints WAY too easy of a picture. Life is much harder than that in most of the US. I see people from developing nations saying Americans are spoiled because they’re so rich, but what they think is rich is absolutely destitute poor here. You’ll likely be homeless and hungry if all you earn is $30k/year.
heartSagan5@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
You’re welcome to post the calculus for your area. It is overly simple, but the point is correct. The economics are atrocious.
boaratio@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Minimum wage isn’t $15 an hour.
Colonel_Panic_@eviltoast.org 2 weeks ago
Minimum Wage isn’t even livable!
Uses DOUBLE the minimum wage and it STILL isn’t livable
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Rent isn’t $1200/mo either.
All of these numbers are years out of date
boaratio@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
When I graduated college in 2004 I rented a 1 bedroom shit box for $1200. I can’t imagine how bad it is for renters today. Also, fuck “land lords.”
tabularasa@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
It is in some parts of the country, to be fair. But the minority for sure.
Earthwormjim91@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
It’s higher than $15 in most places
inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
angband@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Only five states have minimum wage above 15. Only 8 total are at 15 or higher. According to this: wagebystate.com/minimum-wage/
doingthestuff@lemy.lol 2 weeks ago
You couldn’t be more wrong. I make less than I made 25 years ago, and I’m not even close to minimum. Jobs around me mostly hire at $11-12. Maybe $16 if you’re a welder or something.
boaratio@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Just gonna leave this here. Federal Minimum Wage
LordCrom@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Where is rent 1200? Maybe with 2 roomates.
zalgotext@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
That’s a reasonable figure for a big chunk of the Midwest. I currently pay around that much for a 2 bedroom apartment.
BlueberryWalnut@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
Eureka CA $1200 for a 2 bed 1 bath single family home
…but you live in Eureka
epicshepich@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
I had an apartment that was 1200 a month in Southeast Michigan a few years ago. It was the cheapest two-bedroom around because it was pretty poorly maintained.
VitoRobles@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
A decade ago, $1200 was a three bedroom house in my neighborhood. Today, it’s $1400 for a studio apartment, and $3k for the same house.
Again, 10 year difference.
Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
I never understood landlords like that. Maintenance isn’t too difficult or too expensive barring pretty extraordinary circumstances.
Put in like $200-$300 a month worth of maintenance and you could eventually charge $400-$500 a month more in rent.
glitchdx@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
austin tx reporting in, there’s advertisements up near me about the amazing deal of $1100/mo for a 1bed apartment.
GlendatheGayWitch@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Wow, when I lived there, it was $700 just to rent a room in someone else’s house
Addv4@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Southeast US in the smaller cities (rent is cheaper for a reason though…).
green_link@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
how is it sustainable? it’s not. and that’s by design. American politicians and billionaires want it this way. they want the divide. the more poor you are the more likely you are to serve them. slavery never disappeared from the US. the ‘American dream’ has been dead for decades.
heartSagan5@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you. Lyndon B. Johnson
It works for poor versus rich too. Convince their depressed earnings are due to immigrants, etc. and they’ll attack them and (not us rich folks). It’s a redirection by the rich.
VitoRobles@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
It also wasn’t sustainable 20 years ago.
Millennials in their 40s are finally reaching the level of income/financial freedom as a genX did in their late 20s.
heartSagan5@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
And some of GenX got part of the Boomer economy where they practically handed you a job for simply asking and things were affordable.
Shanmugha@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
the more poor you are the more likely you are to serve them
I am getting tired of waiting for people to realize what’s in the post and finally take up to pitchforks. That’s not rocket science, come on
mechoman444@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Well… It’s not sustainable for the person making $15 an hour, but it’s certainly is for the person paying that person $15 an hour and I think that those are the only people that we should be caring about.
Listen you got to work 6 days a week and go to church on Sundays. That’s how it’s supposed to work. That extra 20-30 bucks. You got it there in a month, collection plate.
Then you can die quietly at 55 and somebody can take your place.
/S obviously.
404found@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
That’s not 10% of your income. Pass Go and go straight to hell.
Gongin@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
In my area right now you cannot rent an apartment unless you show proof you have income 3x rent. So that 1200 apartment wouldn’t be possible because they make less than 3600
mycodesucks@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
It’s not supposed to be sustainable. If you have ANY slack whatsoever you gain leverage against the oligarch class.
yakko@feddit.uk 2 weeks ago
It’s sustainable because they tolerate it. They just do the horse bit from Animal Farm
rethnor@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
And any positions that are paying minimum wage aren’t hiring full time for those positions, that means more than one job which increases transportation costs and reduces free time.
liimnok@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
And they do that so they don’t have to provide health insurance, which means the employee will have to pay for their own and thats expensive. Highly predatory.
jj4211@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
This is a reason I feel like public health care should be a bipartisan issue. Business people should love not having to do health insurance for employees.
HerbGrower@slrpnk.net 2 weeks ago
I have had plenty of full time minimum wage jobs. Also had a few zero hour contracts which absolutely suck in comparison.
ivanafterall@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Many, if not most, restaurant server jobs still pay $2 - $4 per hour. Like that’s the official rate and they’re just allowed to not pay you, since you’ll probably receive tips. And that’s legal somehow.
warbond@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
My personal conspiracy theory behind the covid-era spread of tipping culture was to get employees to accept tips as a part of their income. Once it reaches a certain threshold you’re legally allowed to pay the real minimum wage because the rest is subsidized by the customer.
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Didn’t Trump make a whole song and dance of promising “No Tax On Tips” in order to get people to report their tipped income?
mwguy@infosec.pub 2 weeks ago
And $15/hr is roughly twice the Federal minimum wage.
Skyrmir@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
It was never sustainable, it was a hack to keep people from demanding unions. There’s plenty of countries with no minimum wage and well paid workers. It takes strong unions and labor protection laws, which is why the fascists will fight it to the death.
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
60 bucks for a phone a month and you call that “minimum wage poor”? While just using 350 for food? The most important factor in life?
I drown in money and use a 8yr old phone and pay 7 moneyz a month for a generous contract. I would consider a 60 buck monthly budget for a stupid phone outrageously wild.
Sharkticon@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
I wish my bills were that low.
strocker89@feddit.online 2 weeks ago
Minimum wage is $7.25… And it should be $30/hr
GlendatheGayWitch@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
And that is more than double minimum wage in the US ($7.25/hour)!
Yew@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
There was this commercial in the 90’s, I think it was burger king. About a young guy doing his budget, it included $19/mo for gas, and it came out to “a dollar a day for lunch? More than enough!” For a 99 cent cheeseburger. That budget was laughable at the time but it’s insane today.
BillyClark@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
Even if they had an extra $500 per month somehow, it’s not enough to just survive. For one thing, if you’re human, you need to at least entertain the possibility of vacations.
Why can’t we expect people to survive AND to have a decent quality of life?
MrsDoyle@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Businesses should try thinking about people on minimum wage as CUSTOMERS. Because that what they are. People who now can’t afford to eat out, buy new clothes, take up a hobby, join a gym, spend a weekend at the lake, pay rent…
They lay off thousands of workers, replace them with AI or self checkouts, or move manufacturing to China, then bitch about how no-one is buying their product. Get a clue!
flandish@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
thing is: they know and design things this way. shareholders get profit. workers get instructions on how to get stamps.
deathbird@mander.xyz 2 weeks ago
Fight for 15 started back in, what, 2006?
Radical_Socialist_t00t@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
It’s not meant to be sustainable. Capitalism is about cheating your fellow men out of their munnies so you have more.
That’s why we need Scientific Socialism
BilSabab@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
and then homies wonder why some much crime
cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Where I live (not usa) minimum wage is practically $21.40
nullspace@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Rent bots have added another $100-$130 to their listing prices.
fucmm@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
We need to start taking to the streets my friends and just take what you need. Fuck corporate America. I’m gonna take what I want and throw what I think it’s worth on the counter on the way out. Who’s gonna stop me. I need food and clothes for me and my kids. You gonna fucking stop me? The fucking guy checking receipts gonna stop me? No it’s gonna be the Karen bitch that voted for trump and I’m gonna Sparta kick that hoe out my way
Trilogy3452@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
YSK: if you’re paying for 60$ for a phone for yourself there are MVNOs that are waaay cheaper
OakTree@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Young people just don’t understand saving, and how your options expand after saving even just a little bit. Use this post as an example - if you put that $100-130 away every month, in about 6 months you can afford a gun. This gives you a lot more opportunities.
anon_8675309@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I was about to get pissed. Now I’m cheering.
Colonel_Panic_@eviltoast.org 2 weeks ago
Back in my day I could go to the corner store and get chips and a soda and a magazine and whatever I wanted. Now they have security cameras.
boobookittyfrick@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
Image
spirinolas@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Minimum wage is not supposed to maintain the expenses of an adult! Stop being lazy and act your age, leave that comfy minimum wage job, actually learn a trade like carpentry or something and build a device to separate heads from the rest of the body.
baines@lemmy.cafe 2 weeks ago
fire is universal
UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Young people don’t have any income. How can they understand savings?
And another six months before you can afford bullets.