Living wage - does good politics result in bad economics?

Thrugelmir

Dansmam wrote: »

Teacher, quite a lot, shelfstacker a bit but no influence on the country's future, not lot of scope to set someone on the road to genius.

Surprising how many people start from lowly beginnings to rise up through organisations. Or eventually become successful in another field or run their own business. Guess you never had the need to do a Saturday job as your parents paid for everything. Life skills are learnt not bought.

Garethgrew

CLAPTON wrote: »

it's likely that the £9.35 per hour will lead to permanent higher unemployment levels along the lines of France and some other european countries

but we will see in due course

the test wouldn't be when the economy is booming but when it is in recession

Workers will be expected to work harder per hour to earn the extra pay rise.

Thrugelmir

Garethgrew wrote: »

Workers will be expected to work harder per hour to earn the extra pay rise.

Harder or simply more productive.

CLAPTON

Garethgrew wrote: »

Workers will be expected to work harder per hour to earn the extra pay rise.

that's unlikely and assumes they are lazy now

more likely is that the jobs will be re-organised to reduce labour and hence employment

and some employments will cease to exist

Thrugelmir

CLAPTON wrote: »

and some employments will cease to exist

Stores will close. So in part retention of the best. Aldi pay a far higher basic wage. Already over £8 per hour.

CLAPTON

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Stores will close. So in part retention of the best. Aldi pay a far higher basic wage. Already over £8 per hour.

yes, better to have an unemployed underclass with higher productivity than full employment?

Thrugelmir

CLAPTON wrote: »

yes, better to have an unemployed underclass with higher productivity than full employment?

Dog eats dog.

zagubov

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Dog eats dog.

Crikey! What kind of Biology teachers did you have!:eek:

Generali

Minimum wages are a lot higher in Aus than in the UK

http://www.fairwork.gov.au/pay/minimum-wages

If I was stacking shelves in a supermarket, I would earn $23.74/hr Monday-Friday evenings (after 6pm) and on Saturdays, $38/hr on Sundays and $47.48 an hour on public holidays. The result of this largess is that Australian supermarkets are expensive and most posh restaurants (labour intensive ones) are closed on Sundays.

Even during the day, during the week I'd make $18.99/hr.

Having said that, Australians in work have a higher standard of living than in the UK I think. I suspect that competition from the mines keeps wages up in the city.

wotsthat

I reckon by the time I want a shelf stacking job at £9/ hour to supplement my savings and fund 3 foreign holidays a year the zombie apocalypse of shelf stackers will have stolen the jobs.

However I fully expect Londoners and the taxpayer will still be funding blokes to sit at the front of driverless trains earning £60k/ year so there's hope yet.