Minimum Wage

Hi Guys and Dolls,

The minimum wage varies by state in the US and in Illinois it is $8.25 per hour. Would be interesting to know what the minimum wage is in your state and other countries.

Do you think the minimum wage is fair. Should it be more or less? What is heart breaking to see is people who have degrees and end up making the same or just a bit more than the minimum wage per hour.

I have heard so many students out of college who end up not following their careers because they make more money as a bartender or server.

Lips

$10.25...$9.60 is you're s server/bartender..hasn't changed since 2010

In Romania the minimum wage is shamefully low, around $1.40 per hour. I honestly don't know how people earning that minimum wage can live off it. Luckily the wages in the capital city, where I live, are substantially higher.

It's terrible in Serbia - the monthly minimum wage set by our government is less than 200 euros. And most of the people who work for minimum wages don't get paid regularly or don't get paid at all! And if they even think about complaining, they are told: Well, you can go, but then you won't get paid what we owe you at all, and we'll easily find a replacement, 'cause there are so many people out there looking for a job.

I read just this morning that the unemployment rate in Serbia has hit a new high - it's 'round 30% now!

It's £6.19 if you are 21 and over and drops significantly if you are younger.  The lowest is for an apprentice at £2.65 ph

What is minimum wage? My take is that it is, or should be, the minimum amount earned in order to live. If you can't afford to take care of yourself and pay your way through life then the minimum wage is way off. I hate to see people work for next to nothing. It's not fair!

Minimum Wage, what can I say about it other than it sucks! My question is how do they decide what it's going to be and what it is based upon? I mean nine bucks an hour is nothing now a days in the states. Not to mention half these businesses don't even offer health insurance so you kill yourself to barely make it and god help ya if you get sick. I currently have a master's degree and working full time at a job for peanuts. With today's economy I had no choice but to take it, I'm glad I even got the job I have now.

Oh wow it really is vastly different depending where you live. But what i am wondering is if it all balances out with the cost of living. Of course the cost of living hardly meets the demands of every day living expenses.

On the flip side at least there is some type of minimum wage required by law or some of these employers would walk all over their employees. And from what i have read here particularly Serbia they are still doing exactly that and it is a dirty shame.

Lips

Here in the land of oz (Kansas) it is 7.45 per hour. I think it is a ridiculous wage that needs to be higher for people to live. I mean gas is $4.04 a gallon here and milk is $5.65 per gallon. Hope it changes soon and benefits people that are scraping by.

It's 7.25 or 8.25 here in Nevada, gosh I forget.... and you're right bartenders and servers make hella money in this state even though they make min. they get tips, but they do have to claim them on taxes,..min. wage is about 3.00 below the starting wage of what I do, although im 1.00 below tops, which is 17.00 an hour, im in a high level position, in which no college degree got me to this level it was completely free job training, just moving up within the company...

not to mention the cases in which students have held jobs as dancers (strippers).. to pay their way through but ended up keeping in with it because the pay is so good.. so many stories I have heard, "I have a masters (or other type of degrees) degree in such n such, but can't find a job" or one that pays as well

I can't really decide on if it's fair or not, not knowing how, why, who, when on/for the statistics, basics, or information it was set on.. but I can say that 8.25 is a very difficult wage for a small family to live on, not anyone who owned a house or possibly a new car could stay afloat on that.

A buddy of mine has a college degree and lost his job after the company bellied up. He finally got a job waiting tables to feed his family and delivers pizzas part-time at night to make ends meet. Worst part is he is still paying off student loans from tips he earns doing a non-degree gig.

$7.25 here in Nevada and I think it's still $5.35 if you are a server or bartender .


lol just read imagin.ation post , I live in reno , Nevada where are you from??

I think part of the problem is that people have been so desperate for jobs for such a long time now that they will take the first offer on the table. imho that fact alone has had a HUGE impact on the economy.

Minimum wage definitely sucks. I give credit to those people that take whatever job they can get.

          Hey guys, here in Florida it's (I think)  $7.75 an hour or close to it.  I remember in the early 80's it was  $3.35  for years and didn't change until the 90's ?    The reason they have a minimum wage (IMO)  is because unscrupulous businesses would pay even less if they could.  They always say it'll cost jobs and run companies out of business,  which I really don't believe would happen every time there is talk of raising it.  I think if we've learned anything from gambling it's that you don't have a lot of losers without some winners making a lot of money. 

WA is $9.19 and OR is (I believe) $8.40 an hour.

I'll say this. When I was a temp (Oh, BTW I got hired finally) I made $10 an hour. After taxes, this was $7.945 per hour. Needless to say, if I was renting a room, I'd be rather tight with my cash. Now that I am hired, I get access to the overtime (I just put in 94 hours in the past 2 weeks) and yes, it will help.

Had I been in WA I'd have gotten about $35 a week MORE in money for my pay. So having a sales tax and not a income tax (State) sure shows the difference in benefit to the consumer.