Author Topic: documentary on usa wages  (Read 3681 times)

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wildbill

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on: October 22, 2013, 02:42:36 pm
tonight i was watching the tube on USA wages. bar tender bit over $2 an hour plus tips -Wilmar on $9 and a security guard $10 a hour.
not too long ago i thought how much cheaper good are in the good old USA compered to prices in oz but now i can truly say - when it comes to wages etc you lot surely get the rough end of the stick.
I'd hate to think what wage I'd be paid if i hired you out a kids birthday jumping castle - but down under I charge  $100 an hour - min 4 hours plus travelling expenses and looking at the above wage index -my chances of that figure in the USA would be sweet ---- all
i think you lot truly deserve a good deal on your bikes and cars etc etc and in oz we should be grateful for what we have. it most certainly opened my eyes and i still find it very hard to believe. ::)





tooseevee

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Reply #1 on: October 22, 2013, 04:28:53 pm
tonight i was watching the tube on USA wages. bar tender bit over $2 an hour plus tips -Wilmar on $9 and a security guard $10 a hour.
not too long ago i thought how much cheaper good are in the good old USA compered to prices in oz but now i can truly say - when it comes to wages etc you lot surely get the rough end of the stick.
I'd hate to think what wage I'd be paid if i hired you out a kids birthday jumping castle - but down under I charge  $100 an hour - min 4 hours plus travelling expenses and looking at the above wage index -my chances of that figure in the USA would be sweet ---- all
i think you lot truly deserve a good deal on your bikes and cars etc etc and in oz we should be grateful for what we have. it most certainly opened my eyes and i still find it very hard to believe. ::)

       Our economy IS in the tank, but I wouldn't draw any conclusions from these three (low) random samples. The documentary may also have had a political agenda it wanted to push (as almost ALL cable TV does now).

       Bartenders & food service people work for tips & their hourly wage has always been low. The other two jobs have also always just been a hair above minimum wage.

       Our hourly wage right now runs from $13.56 an hour to $35.31 per hour using 20 different non-farm job areas. This survey does not include minimum wage jobs & I didn't take the time to find out why.

         We have millions of people now who have lost high paying jobs over the past 5 years & now can only get low paying jobs. Business will not hire because of the political atmosphere. Trillions of dollars of value has been lost from the economy.

        When you get into salaried jobs the average is probably way higher than the above survey. I was making $35K a year ($17 an hour, nowhere near that top number) when I retired in 1995 & that was plenty for me + cost of living was way lower then than now. Milk, like everything else, has doubled. It's $8 a gallon now & the only thing making more money now is the government.

         There has been no improvement in the jobs or or any attempt to improve the business atmosphere here in the past 5 years. In fact it's way worse. The 40 hour week is dead. 

         You would easily get $100 an hour for your birthday party job here. People spend ridiculous amounts of money on their pampered brats here now. In Washington or surrounding areas, where our politicians, lobbyists & other crooks live, you could easily double that. As an example, my son (43) is making close to $150K, has 3 managers & 150 people under him & is in the healthcare business.
« Last Edit: October 22, 2013, 04:38:31 pm by tooseevee »
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Roeland

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Reply #2 on: October 22, 2013, 04:41:04 pm
Please note that in SA the average household income (5 to 6 people) is about 300 US Dollars per month. About 5% of the population contributes 50% of income tax to subsides the others. Import taxes on luxury items (excluding motor cycles but including books) is usually between 40 to 100% even tough many of the items are not locally available. I often buy items overseas as they are just to expensive over here.


Craig McClure

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Reply #3 on: October 22, 2013, 05:11:41 pm
What I find very disturbing here, is what happens to many retirees who have put THEIR hard earned money aside in an employer run/sponsored pension plan, only to find on retirement that the Employer does not keep their end of the bargain. Imagine working hard & saving for years then being BETRAYED. This happens frequently here, & so far employers seem to be getting away with it. One would think a companies assets could be sold to pay the pensioners they ripped off, and that officials would be jailed. But no.
  I worry about my Social Security drying up, as its funds have already been raided by Obamacare, & SS itself is just a PONZI SCHEME at best.
Best Wishes, Craig McClure


Roeland

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Reply #4 on: October 22, 2013, 05:38:17 pm
I totally agree with that - I think it is a world wide phenomena. I'm still putting aside for retirement but I can see already where this is all heading. Pension schemes going bust; rates, taxes, etc... way far more expensive than the original mortgage on properties, etc..., etc... we're all getting ripped off - but I thought this was a RE forum?


1 Thump

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Reply #5 on: October 22, 2013, 06:30:28 pm
What I find very disturbing here, is what happens to many retirees who have put THEIR hard earned money aside in an employer run/sponsored pension plan, only to find on retirement that the Employer does not keep their end of the bargain. Imagine working hard & saving for years then being BETRAYED. This happens frequently here, & so far employers seem to be getting away with it. One would think a companies assets could be sold to pay the pensioners they ripped off, and that officials would be jailed. But no.
  I worry about my Social Security drying up, as its funds have already been raided by Obamacare, & SS itself is just a PONZI SCHEME at best.

The whole retirement thing is a scam with only one party almost assured to make money.... Watch this:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/retirement-gamble/


mattsz

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Reply #6 on: October 22, 2013, 09:31:13 pm
but I thought this was a RE forum?

Pretty soon, this thread will belong in "Campfire Talk"...


singhg5

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Reply #7 on: October 22, 2013, 10:49:11 pm
Pretty soon, this thread will belong in "Campfire Talk"...

+1
should be in Campfire Talk.
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wildbill

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Reply #8 on: October 23, 2013, 03:03:56 am
topic should have read why in oz we pay more for our royal enfields.


mattsz

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Reply #9 on: October 23, 2013, 10:06:54 am
Milk, like everything else, has doubled. It's $8 a gallon now...

 :o

It's all relative, I guess -  not just among countries, but within countries.  I pay almost half that amount for a gallon of milk - but unfortunately, my Enfield cost the same!  Funny how local wages, housing, and food prices vary by location, but cars and bikes and television sets don't.  I guess why they call it "cost of living". 


AussieDave

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Reply #10 on: October 23, 2013, 10:29:57 am
1 Thump
The whole retirement thing is a scam with only one party almost assured to make money....
+1 still fighting to recover some lost super after 5 years...
   Roeland- I'm sure we could find a spot for you over here if you ever wanted:)
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REpozer

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Reply #11 on: October 23, 2013, 06:14:28 pm
If I had Aussie money, I would burn mine. ;)
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barenekd

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Reply #12 on: October 23, 2013, 10:47:27 pm
I bought a gallon of milk yesterday for $2.99, and that wasn't even at the cheap grocery store!
And this is in Cantafordia. CA does require waitpersons to be payed minimum wage - $8.00 an hour.
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Ducati Scotty

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Reply #13 on: October 23, 2013, 10:54:00 pm
NY does not.  When I was a buss boy and waiter there we got $2.90/hr.  Minimum was more than double that.  Luckily, I worked good places and the tips made it irrelevant.

Scott


Sectorsteve

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Reply #14 on: October 26, 2013, 07:32:13 am
So true bill . I feel Like such a winger when I hear this stuff. No wonder so many people are in the slammer over there. Must be tricky.
We are very lucky here and things should be cheaper in the us.
As for super, it's a scam I'm sure. I know so Many people who have  lost 100's of thousands. Why the hell do you need someone else that you don't know to save money for you. Do it yourself. Buy a house. Thats  your super.
« Last Edit: October 26, 2013, 07:39:31 am by Sectorsteve »


wildbill

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Reply #15 on: October 26, 2013, 07:37:24 am
pretty bad alright- i do my work at the weekend and pick up a packet