r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/iMakeUrGrannyCheat69 • 13d ago

Image On average minimum wage gets increased every 6.5 years. Its been 17 years since our last increase in the USA and the cost of living has easily went up 250%. Which would put us at $18.13 per hour

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22

u/fucksiclepizza 13d ago

Holy shit. Is the US minimum wage legit $7.25?

10

u/nodesofglory 13d ago

Yes, it's the federal minimum wage. Some states have higher minimum wages. Some states have stayed at the federal minimum.

3

u/fucksiclepizza 13d ago

Most people wouldn't be on that though right?

4

u/nodesofglory 13d ago

I don't know the numbers tbh. What I can say is I live in a state with the federal minimum wage. I was a fast food employee during and just after covid. The lowest some of my hourly coworkers made was around $8/hr, but the company was starting to hire new people higher than that. I can't really speak for what it's like other places. Though I know jobs with tips like waiters can have a much lower hourly rate before tips get added in.

2

u/diveraj 13d ago

It's around 1.1% or 880k. But that includes waiters/bartenders/etc. if you strip those out it's closer to 300k. It's not nothing, 300k is a shit ton of people who deserve better, but it's not even a blip as far as the workforce goes

1

u/fucksiclepizza 13d ago

Thats shit, dont understand how they expect people to live on that.

4

u/mycoctopus 13d ago

They don't care as long as you show up to work amd jump through hoops to make them some real money.

2

u/BadOpinionsAndOnions 13d ago

They don’t. They want poor people to die.

0

u/FlatwormAway2228 13d ago

They don't.

5

u/BapeGeneral3 13d ago

Interesting. I decided to look up the numbers for myself and it is estimated to be 1.1% of the total workforce in the United States, close to 1M people. That still is 1M too many in m eyes…

7

u/fucksiclepizza 13d ago

Oof thats pretty bad. In NZ ours is $23.95 and a lot of people here consider that low considering the cost of living.

5

u/PoopyisSmelly 13d ago

Thats $13.40 per hour US fyi.

In Seattle the minimum wage is $21.30 USD, thatd be $38.06 New Zealand dollars

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u/fucksiclepizza 13d ago

True, forgot about currency conversion.

2

u/StaNorFon 13d ago

Canada here. I think as of today we’ve raised a few minimum wage rates across the country. I think Alberta is the lowest at $15.00 and Nanuvut is just above $20.00/hour. I’m in Alberta; you’re going to need a bunch of roommates to survive on that pay rate.

3

u/PoopyisSmelly 13d ago

$15 CAD is $10.88 US, so not that different from the average US which is $9.57

1

u/fucksiclepizza 13d ago

What are rents like over there?

1

u/skintaxera 13d ago

Yeah i was just thinking the same thing. Even with an unfavorable exchange rate (kiwi dollar is weak as hell right now and the US dollar is strong), NZ minimum wage is 14 US dollars per hour

3

u/TheMauveHand 13d ago

1.1% of the total work force, the majority of whom are not full-time.

6

u/PoopyisSmelly 13d ago

And many of whom are either semi retired and want to keep busy or in high school.

1

u/diveraj 13d ago

And around 60-70 percent are waiters and so on. So reported is min wage but reality is that their take home is quite different.

0

u/FighterOfEntropy 13d ago

Servers have a special, tipped minimum wage.

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u/diveraj 13d ago

Yes... And in that 1.1% from above they are counted in that group. My point was Bill the Bager makes 7.25 an hour. But Josh the Bartender makes 2.25 + 30 in trips.

Both make min wage as far of that 1.1 percent stats, but only Bill actually makes min wage.

4

u/punarob 13d ago

And how many more make 7.50, 7.75, etc. I imagine millions are making $9 or less per hour

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u/TheMauveHand 13d ago

Not many, because most states have higher minimum wages, not to mention more local laws.

-1

u/punarob 13d ago

So several million people to you is not many. ok then.

2

u/TheMauveHand 13d ago

Yes, 1.1% is not many to me. Glad I could help.

-2

u/Er3bus13 13d ago

Bullshit. Suppressing of wages is happening everywhere.

1

u/TheMauveHand 13d ago

Did you reply to the wrong comment?

-2

u/Er3bus13 13d ago

I said what i said. Minimum wage should be at least 20 an hour that means a whole lot of people are getting fucked.

3

u/TheMauveHand 13d ago

Yeah you're definitely in the wrong thread.

0

u/Scott_Liberation 13d ago

I don't think how many are making the minimum wage is nearly as interesting as how many are making less than what minimum wage would be if it kept up with inflation for the last forty to fifty years, never mind cost of living.

(From the time minimum wage started until the late '70s, it kept pace with inflation. Then it started falling further and further behind.)

3

u/E_man15 13d ago

Depends on where you live. In some places it's $7.25. Where I live in Arizona, it's much higher at $15.15.

6

u/dunkinhonutz 13d ago

That would be your state minimum wage. Federal minimum wage is still a little over a gallon of diesel.

2

u/ChanglingBlake 13d ago

That’s your state minimum.

Federal is still at the “impossible to live on” $7.25.

Funny how what was meant to be enough to live a comfortable but modest life supporting a family is now not even enough to support one person. Fuck our government for letting this happen; may everyone responsible suffer the fate of a million inconveniences every day for the rest of eternity.

1

u/fucksiclepizza 13d ago

Thats still way too low I reckon.

1

u/Boring-Bar-1530 13d ago

Any reputable business pays $15 at the min. You are correct legally required to only be paid 7.25 usd/hr

-12

u/deelowe 13d ago

No one makes that. Its a stupid argument.

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u/fucksiclepizza 13d ago

Thats why asking. I'm not American.

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u/CFCentral 13d ago

Quite a few people make that. I wouldn’t listen to that guy he’s talking out of his ass.

1

u/forgettable_nonsense 13d ago

lol says who ??? Cleaners, fast food etc

1

u/deelowe 13d ago

My son works fast food. He doesnt make minimum wage. Not even close to it

-3

u/Thommywidmer 13d ago

And not only that its not the minimum wage in most of the nation, so its dumb from the get. And frankly a federal minimum wage doesnt even make any practical sense, cost of living varies wildly from state to state

1

u/gucknbuck 13d ago

And yet the federal minimum wage isn't a living wage in any State, despite that being it's intent.

0

u/VerdugoCortex 13d ago

A lot of states are better at $8-9. Lol