Good news / bad news..... wages-wise

[frkelly74]

I love good news. And the good news is that I have a chance at a job that doubles my previous wages. The bad news is that the previous wage was in the mid 70s when i made $5 an hour. But they might hire me and that is a plus.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I hope the best for you. Dang, but times are tough right now. Better days ahead.

[troyboy]

The wage is less than what you were making in the mid 70's. Better days are not ahead but they have long since past.

[gray wolf]

It depends on what your desire is and what your needs are.
When I came to Maine I had to work in a wood mill that made furniture.
I designed the line of goods they were selling. They paid me $6.50 an hour with zero benefits. You would almost think it was illegal.
That's right you read it correctly. They told Julie and I we had a choice,
We could take the job or not take the job.
Julie was an assembler and got the same pay. We also got the same abuse.
We celebrated when they closed the place because of poor management.
And before you ask---------there were no other jobs to be had,
and this was not 20 years ago.
But may I say if I could still work -----I would take anything to rise above the
the status that we have to live by now. If I could make just a few dollars a week it would be a big help.

[JeffinNZ]

Is there a minimum wage in the US?

Here our minimum is NZD13.50 per hour which is about USD10.50 per hour. Further, I would NOT want to try and live on that little.

[autofix4u]

Is there a minimum wage in the US?

Here our minimum is NZD13.50 per hour which is about USD10.50 per hour. Further, I would NOT want to try and live on that little.

I think the min wage waries by state, Here in Missouri It is $7.25 per hr...... That wont even buy lunch. I have a good job for the area and make a litte more than double that. Kinda makes it hard to raise a family
Many others in my area are not nearly a lucky as myself and are trying to get by on min wage.

[waksupi]

I wish I could find that good of deal. I'm living on about $500 a month at the time. Can't be on my feet all that long, old injuries and arthritis are slowing me down. Not many hiring past middle aged guys here, with the unemployment as high as it is.

[Bret4207]

Is there a minimum wage in the US?

Here our minimum is NZD13.50 per hour which is about USD10.50 per hour. Further, I would NOT want to try and live on that little.

Yeah, there's minimum wage. In my state I think it's $8.25. But minimum wage isn't supposed to be anything but a starting salary. No one can realistically live on 40 hours a week at that price in the style most of us are accustomed to. You can't pay rent, car insurance, a used car payment, food and gas on $200.00 a week. Those that get by on less are not living the way our currnt generation can fathom. They can't do it. That's part of the reason so many older kids are still living with Mom and Dad these days. My oldest boy would LOVE to move out, no way he can. You can't do it. What's the answer? Lower taxes, a solid dollar and a growing economy. We aren't going to see any of that any time soon. Every single new program, grant, gov't loan, tax on business, etc. get's passed onto the consumer. Raise the Min wage and there will be a rise in unemployment.

It's a vicious circle and I see little hope on the horizon.

[redneckdan]

Yup, Michigan is $7.40 minimum. I have heard time and again that your wage will rise commensurate to your skills and experience. In my experience that has not been the case. I worked for a company for 5 years, hired in as general labor at just above minimum wage. Within 2 weeks I was doing skilled labor on small engines, diesel mechanics, even programming PLCs to control lift motors and high capacity pumps. None of those skills were acquired at that job, all through personal experience and self-education. I voluntarily put my self on 24/7 call during peak production times. Somebody does something stupid and breaks a machine at 2 in the morning? I'm there within 15 minutes regardless of the fact I have a shift starting at 8. Five years I did that, never got a raise. Matter of fact I got lectured for drawing too much over time when I hit 180 hrs one pay period.

There is a problem, not sure what the cause is, not sure what the fix is. But something somewhere is screwed up.

[gray wolf]

Well men I must agree it's not easy.
Lets see, 40 hours a week is 160 hours a month.
$1,100 a month divided by 160 = about $6.90 an hour.
Yep, very difficult, Life style ?? what's that.

[JeffinNZ]

Well guys, I feel for you all. I knew the US was doing it hard but that is really hard. How is it the people who make the decisions that get economies into these conditions are the guys that earn the most and keep earning the most?

[Bret4207]

Generally because they promise the most to the people that have the least. And actually, if the dollar wasn't being devalued and if we hadn't gone on a massive borrowing spree and if we weren't effectively collecting income tax from less than 50% of our working population and subsidizing a large portion of that population and those who can't or won't work we wouldn't be so much in this position. There are no easy answers to this except to simply raise taxes till the tax payers are broke and then sell their blood.

[RayinNH]

What's the going price of blood ?

[frkelly74]

If you are buying , it is exorbitant. Selling , not so much. Blood that is.

[merlin101]

Yup, Michigan is $7.40 minimum. I have heard time and again that your wage will rise commensurate to your skills and experience. In my experience that has not been the case. I worked for a company for 5 years, hired in as general labor at just above minimum wage. Within 2 weeks I was doing skilled labor on small engines, diesel mechanics, even programming PLCs to control lift motors and high capacity pumps. None of those skills were acquired at that job, all through personal experience and self-education. I voluntarily put my self on 24/7 call during peak production times. Somebody does something stupid and breaks a machine at 2 in the morning? I'm there within 15 minutes regardless of the fact I have a shift starting at 8. Five years I did that, never got a raise. Matter of fact I got lectured for drawing too much over time when I hit 180 hrs one pay period.

There is a problem, not sure what the cause is, not sure what the fix is. But something somewhere is screwed up.

I'm familier with that type of situation, been there done that. You were rewarded for your hard work and deadication by getting to do the work of the slackers! [smilie=b:
Years ago when I was in the army my unit had to have 2 guys stationed (temp) at a rec-center and same 2 loser pot heads kept gettig it! When I asked the 1st. SGT he replied he couldn't afford to let the "good " men go. It was a tough lesson that took me about 20yrs of hard work to learn.
OK rant over , sorry about the hi-jack

[pdawg_shooter]

I love good news. And the good news is that I have a chance at a job that doubles my previous wages. The bad news is that the previous wage was in the mid 70s when i made $5 an hour. But they might hire me and that is a plus.

You haven't worked since the mid 70s?

[frkelly74]

Sorry, you miss my point. My last career type job was $50,000 plus some nice benefits. When that ended I slid back into the limbo of the $10 per hour job which buys less and less as time passes. I was trying to make light of a depressing turn around.

[Bret4207]

I know what you mean. My last job before going into my career paid under min wage as I got a rent free house with it. So it was less than the $5.00 @hour min wage. Now I'm applying for a job 25 years later that I believe is min wage to help make ends meet. You do what you have to do.

My biggest fear is that I'll be told I'm over qualified to work at TSC!

[Flinchrock]

I wish I could find that good of deal. I'm living on about $500 a month at the time. Can't be on my feet all that long, old injuries and arthritis are slowing me down. Not many hiring past middle aged guys here, with the unemployment as high as it is.

I hear you there friend,,,hear you loud and clear!!!