Why do most jobs pay peanuts compared with the cost of living?

Question

Danzigdawson · Accepted Answer

The roots of the problem: billionaires and conservatives. Billionaires are hoarding the world's wealth, not redistributing it. Over the years, conservative politicians (who are often rich themselves) have made great efforts to provide extremely generous tax-cuts for the privileged few and to deregulate finance, allowing already rich people to become even richer, faster and more easily than before. Billionaires simps and conservative politician scum work hard to prevent the richest from being taxed heavily. Billionaires crush competition easily, their corporations grow all the time, absorb everything. Fewer and fewer people decide what to charge people for most of the goods that they control... and they always control more and more and more. Billionaires hate unions, fair wages, and decent working conditions because it costs them money to provide it. They would make less profit and, consequently, potentially risk being eaten by another "shark" who is even more willing to "punish his workforce for making him rich", so to speak. Conservative scum are in awe of billionaires and identify with them, even if there's not a snowball's chance in hell that they will ever become billionaire themselves, no matter how hard they work and how early they get up every morning. Conservative morons see unions, fair wages, benefits and welfare programs that provide help to the working poor as disgusting hand-outs akin to "socialism". Conservative morons love to think that they bankroll the country they live in with their personal, meager contribution in the form of taxes. Consequently, they elect themselves "king shit cops" and think that their opinion matters, even though it does not. They vote for scum who know how to play on that. Conservatives shitheels think that everyone but themselves is lazy and that people should just accept being treated like shit, repeating every 5 seconds that if "they would be willing to work hard for what they want, they would get it" as if this constitutes a one-size-fits-all solution for any poverty-related issue. Conservative morons don't realize that capitalism cannot work if it's not regulated in some way in order to prevent the extreme wealth inequalities that we are experiencing at the moment. Those who benefit from the flaws of capitalism spend both time and money to try to convince "self-made-alpha" morons that regulations, equality and welfare programs are stalinist-grade socialism that will force everyone to speak soviet-era russian in the blink of an eye.

Effably · Accepted Answer

There's a sandbox at an elementary school. A bunch of six year olds are playing.

A new kid comes to the sandbox and asks to play. The first few get a slice. Not as good as the ones already taken but still a slice. After that the new ones get told they can help someone who has a slice.

At this point it is still quite fair. Everyone gets to play although some have more than others. If they refused to let new kids play, the new kids would be upset and take things.

But then a line of kids emerge. The people in the sandbox proclaim there are only so many little shovels so only the ones chosen by the other kids can join! They make them compete, agree to do what the other kids want and then whoever accepts the most demands get a shovel. Sometimes a friend to the people in the sandbox asks to play and gets one without that.

And that's how it works. It is paid peanuts because someone else is willing to do it too and they don't have a slice. When it comes to kids it is fine to get a new sandbox. Reset at next recess or go play something else. When it is adults who need roof over their head and food in their belly? We get the concept of wage slavery.

Bur basically because paying peanuts still gets someone to do the job.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

More money in their own pockets
and they get away with it because they have more money to buy other things and people who will support them because they getting $4 or $5 more dollars than you. Talk about pride and crabs in the basket

Chazmatazz269 · Answer

Most people don’t belong to unions anymore and the prevailing economic model allows employers to determine the value of a person’s labor. Most workers are ignorant about how labor is appropriately valued, and that’s by design. Lastly, most jobs require no extensive education or training. With limited exceptions, this makes for an extensive labor pool which drives the value of the labor down. This truth even applies to smaller pools with more education and training. Consider the bidding process for contract work. Most customers end up going with the lowest bidder. This ultimately loops back to the point about employers determining the value of labor. This is also where unions are valuable. A work strike is a concrete reminder of the importance of labor to the employer’s bottom line. When a company can’t simply throw their workers out like trash and hire someone who is willing to undercut them by a buck an hour, workers get a say in the value of their own labor. Collective bargaining is a good thing and union workers have demonstrably safer worksites and better pay.

Jersey2 · Answer

Currently people are dealing with the effects of the massive inflation under Biden with only very modest gains in pay as it cannot rise that fast.

The government also ruined education costs by guaranteeing loans for college for any degree and most schools so the costs went through the roof as was predicted.

Then the government brought in at least 13 million illegals but I think it is closer to 40 million which increases housing costs for everyone. It also increases the US debt. It also creates an abundance of workers for unskilled and semi-skilled jobs so naturally with a high supply of workers pay does not go up.

Everything the government touches it creates gross inefficiencies such as medical bills. But what you haven’t seen yet is the impacts of the massive debt that is being run up. Be ready for a massive F’ing over when that bill comes due… and it will.

Anonymous · Answer

Because your cost of living is NOT their problem. Their bottom line, however, is. And they have to walk that line of trying to attract the best talent for the best price. Generally you can tell the skill required of a job by wage or salary that the company is hiring at.

Now before you think i'm defending employers and am a company man, let me assure you, i most definitely am NOT. How i said before that your cost of living is NOT their problem. I'll also say that their PROFITIBILITY is NOT your problem either (regardless of what they may tell you). In a perfect world employers would look out for their employers and cultivate a long and lasting relationship. But we don't live in that world. Companies are beholden only to their shareholders. And you should ONLY be loyal to your paycheck. That's just REALITY.

BonzoInBitburg · Answer

Because most employees are replaceable. Go get a higher paying job offer from another company and then go to your employer and say you got a job offer and ask them if they'd like to pay you more. If they let you walk, you know where you stand. Loyalty has never and will never be rewarded in your place of work. Loyal employees will always be the lowest paid because they don't allow other companies to compete for their services. You've got to keep moving up and moving on to get ahead.

Lesbologist · Answer

If you understand supply versus demand, and you're in a country that's allowed unchecked immigration... You know exactly why your job pays shit and your rent has gone up.

Anonymous · Answer

It was a combination of crappy trade deals that shipped jobs to other countries, and trickle down economics. With crappy trade deals, a lot of decent paying middle class jobs were lost and with trickle down economics, wealth went to the top and hasn't trickled down, the wealthy just kept getting wealthier.

SeekerOfTruth007 · Answer

Life has always been that way. Paper currency was invented to benefit the rich, especially in the days when humans were ruled by false god-men monarchs and pharaohs.

Just_Ken · Answer

Uncontrolled Immigration. Why pay your own a good wage when you bring in millions of cheap labour from india.

usernameobvious · Answer

I suppose it would be there's more competition and the always present nature of progress, be it technological or otherwise outsourcing.

DryGermanGuy · Answer

„It’s not a job. It’s an adventure!“  - U. S. Navy

exitseven · Answer

Because all the good paying jobs that paid a living wage got shipped to China.

Pohjolan · Answer

Maybe consider unionising like europeans do?

tonita926 · Answer

The company’s make money off the workers and want someone else to do all the hard work.

leviopperman · Answer

because the US sucks

Anonymous · Answer

Overdigitalisation, Ai and overpopulation

Why do most jobs pay peanuts compared with the cost of living?

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