The question --
Pick a number. I know reasonable people can differ so it doesn't have to be perfect, but what do you think a number should be for some guaranteed minimum wage? Forget the side stuff -- federal vs. state, other possible effects. There are obviously massive cost of living differences in some places, but for the sake of discussion -- generally ignore this as well. I am curious what people really think should be a guaranteed minimum "starting" or "living" wage or annual salary today in most places.

Anecdotally, like most companies of all sizes -- we are struggling badly with a labor shortage affecting us both in house and throughout our supply chain. In-house, we badly needed what I would term a typical front-desk, starting position recently. We weren't looking for some incredible starting skills, but some basics and an individual who showed some room to grow. We hoped to start by going a temp route, but using 2 local temp agencies (I am in the 757) and with a willingness to pay a floor of $15 per hour and noting we would go over $20 -- we received 2 resumes over the course of 60+ days. Essentially, there is no temp help out there -- at all, at virtually any price (so we were also told by these agencies). That is highly, highly abnormal and not at all a functioning "market" in my opinion.

In addition to some other routes (Indeed.com, etc), we also went to two local colleges and their placement offices. We talked about a starting salary in the low 30's and noted that we pay 100% of health care. Worth noting one of the two offices told us to our face "that really isn't a living wage". That is interesting as $15 per hour equates to $31,200 -- and full benefits, again including 100% health care premiums (which apparently means nothing to anybody today). In the end, we found somebody - a recent college graduate who did not have any other job and was not living locally but saw our ad (on LinkedIn) from a small town and I give credit for at least trying to give this a go. It is also worth noting in the end, we were pushed to settle on a salary figure for considerably more than above -- essentially $20 per hour BEFORE taking into account benefits.

There is no doubt in my mind that in many areas, we have already blown way past $15 per hour as a starting point. Perhaps not quite yet at some jobs that historically were never considered to be somebody's "career", but even in many of those places -- we are just about there.

So I am sincerely curious, although I don't think this is a normal functioning labor market right now with what the government is doing (and not just with the payments -- there are other factors imo such as recent immigration policies, worker visas, etc) -- put that discussion aside. What is your idea of what should really be a "living wage" because just listening to discussion out there -- it sure seems to me that this discussion has become a very, very quickly changing concept -- if there is even a target at all (at least for some kind of "floor"). And I am not suggesting some "floor" should ever be the ultimate "goal" as any goal really should also be about the ability to always try and move upward and onward with fair opportunities, but specifics matter if there is any sincere attempt to truly try and discuss workable policies. I can't help but listen to Bernie Sanders et. al. over the years and wonder if none of the numbers or education plans or anything ever really matter as long as there essentially continues to be really "rich" people in the world and large "evil" corporations -- these seem the perpetual true problems for many even as we walk right on past the "living wage" talking points.















[Post edited by fishhoo at 06/10/2021 8:41PM]