Some Americans Willing to Work for 25 cents/Hour

Zoooma

Hating Living :(
Mar 15, 2010
7,534
962
Hudson River Valley, NY
✟19,360.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
The Real Minimum Wage
Those without jobs are often willing to work for far less than $7.25. NEWSWEEK chronicles how low they will go.

1308376576107.jpg

Just as the official unemployment rate doesn’t give the whole picture, neither does the $7.25 minimum wage set by the federal government. While in some parts of the country even menial positions command more, there’s also a virtual army of the digitally desperate who will work for less—often far less.

To find out what pay U.S. workers will really accept for an hour’s work, and how that stacks up against other countries, NEWSWEEK turned to Mechanical Turk, an online marketplace for freelance work operated by Amazon.com. In a weeks-long experiment, we posted simple, hourlong jobs (listening to audio recordings and counting instances of a specific keyword) and continually lowered our offer until we found the absolute bottom price that multiple people would accept, and then complete the task.

The results: some Americans settled for a shockingly low 25 cents an hour—while counterparts in nations like India and the Philippines expected multiples more. Of course, the results also partly reflect how many workers in each country compete for work on Amazon’s system. But even against other wired places like the U.K. and Canada, Americans desperate to earn even a pittance were the cheapest around.
The Real Minimum Wage - Newsweek
 

Billnew

Legend
Apr 23, 2004
21,246
1,234
58
Ohio
Visit site
✟35,363.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Politics
CA-Conservatives
I don't think these people understand what $.25/hour is.
$2 a day, unless it is within walking distance, they will lose money by working. $10 a week, $40 a month.

How far have we dropped, that even the ignorant would consider a twenty five cent an hour job?
 
Upvote 0

Zoooma

Hating Living :(
Mar 15, 2010
7,534
962
Hudson River Valley, NY
✟19,360.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
I don't think these people understand what $.25/hour is.
$2 a day, unless it is within walking distance, they will lose money by working. $10 a week, $40 a month.

How far have we dropped, that even the ignorant would consider a twenty five cent an hour job?
You call them ignorant? Employed you are, receiving an acceptable paycheck every two weeks?

Are you aware how many are out of work and desperate for a job in America?

You're probably right about them losing money because of the need/cost to get to this fictional job but to call them ignorant isn't right. They probably just didn't think of that part of the equation.

Right now I would take 25¢ an hour if I could walk or ride a bike there. Why? Making a couple bucks in a day is better than sitting around making 0.
 
Upvote 0

Umaro

Senior Veteran
Dec 22, 2006
4,497
213
✟13,505.00
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Private
Given that the jobs were homebound jobs, it would better than no job. No expense outside of living costs that you already have, so you would not be losing money to keep the job.

Sure you would. If you make less than it takes to pay your rent or property taxes, as well as feed yourself, you'd be losing money taking the job.


This is what I don't understand about the argument for a completely free market. These people are willing to work for a wage that is literally impossible to live off of in America, because there is no other option for them. According to the free market, they "agreed to the wage," so it's fair and just, but can someone in a position like that really be said to agree to a wage?
 
Upvote 0

Zoooma

Hating Living :(
Mar 15, 2010
7,534
962
Hudson River Valley, NY
✟19,360.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
Sure you would [be losing money to keep the job.] If you make less than it takes to pay your rent or property taxes, as well as feed yourself, you'd be losing money taking the job. . . These people are willing to work for a wage that is literally impossible to live off of in America
Hello? Anyone home? The option is, when UNemployed and desperate, do you make 0 dollars a day or make 2 dollars a day? If you're already making 0 dollars a day then making 2 dollars a day cannot be losing money. My dog can figure that out.

Yes, it's impossible to live off that but what the heck would you do? Refuse the 2 dollars a day?

What this shows is the desperation of people in Obama's America. It's not about anything else . . . except maybe that Europeans are seemingly much greedier but that's definitely just a subplot.
 
Upvote 0

Umaro

Senior Veteran
Dec 22, 2006
4,497
213
✟13,505.00
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Private
Hello? Anyone home? The option is, when UNemployed and desperate, do you make 0 dollars a day or make 2 dollars a day? If you're already making 0 dollars a day then making 2 dollars a day cannot be losing money. My dog can figure that out.

Yes, it's impossible to live off that but what the heck would you do? Refuse the 2 dollars a day?

What this shows is the desperation of people in Obama's America. It's not about anything else . . . except maybe that Europeans are seemingly much greedier but that's definitely just a subplot.


You're still losing money though. You're losing less money, but you're still losing money. Think of your labor like a business. Food and shelter are part of your cost of production.

If it costs me $10 to make a table, whether I sell it for $0 or sell it for $2, I'm still losing money on the deal. It works the same way if you're paid less than it takes to eat and have a roof over your head.

Desperation of people in Obama's America? First off, the crash happened before Obama, and second, doesn't the other side want to remove the programs that give these desperate people food stamps and other aid? How much better off would these people be if in addition to circumstances forcing them to take 25c an hour jobs, they also didn't get help with food?

Really this is just the natural conclusion of a free market system. It's supply and demand when people are treated as goods and supply is too high. Maybe they'll be luckier next life, but for now I guess they just get to starve.
 
Upvote 0

Fenny the Fox

Well-Known Member
Apr 21, 2009
4,147
315
Rock Hill, SC
Visit site
✟23,619.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Legal Union (Other)
Sure you would. If you make less than it takes to pay your rent or property taxes, as well as feed yourself, you'd be losing money taking the job.


This is what I don't understand about the argument for a completely free market. These people are willing to work for a wage that is literally impossible to live off of in America, because there is no other option for them. According to the free market, they "agreed to the wage," so it's fair and just, but can someone in a position like that really be said to agree to a wage?

If you have no job to begin with then you would be a greater lose than if you had a job paying .25/hr. Or, if it were a side job, then you still would be better off. [I should ave been more clear that I was referring to a relative perspective.]

The only time that this would be such a negative is if the person gave up a higher paying job for that job.
 
Upvote 0

craigerNY

I bring nothing to the table
Feb 28, 2007
2,429
369
50
Upstate NY
✟48,788.00
Faith
Agnostic
Marital Status
Single
Are people here advocating working eight hours a day for two lousy bucks because that is better than noting? That is a total waste of eight hours. You could make two bucks in less than an hour of collecting pop cans and spend the rest of the day looking for a job. That would be better time management.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Zoooma

Hating Living :(
Mar 15, 2010
7,534
962
Hudson River Valley, NY
✟19,360.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
You're still losing money though. You're losing less money, but you're still losing money. Think of your labor like a business. Food and shelter are part of your cost of production.
If you walk down the street and find a dollar, have you lost money? You're simply not looking at it the right way.

Fenny the Fox above me summed it up nicely. Learn from that.

Desperation of people in Obama's America? First off, the crash happened before Obama, and second, doesn't the other side want to remove the programs that give these desperate people food stamps and other aid? How much better off would these people be if in addition to circumstances forcing them to take 25c an hour jobs, they also didn't get help with food?
Of course someone would have to deflect blame. That's pretty much inevitable when talking to people who favor Democrats.

Who owns the current economy and the current unemployment numbers? Who is responsible? The buck stops in the oval office in the PRESENT TIME.

And please show me the words of 1 single Republican who wants to take away Food Stamps. Just 1 is all I'm askin' for. Who is actively trying to make that a reality? Dragging that into this is irrelevant but since you brought it up I'd still like to know.
 
Upvote 0

Zoooma

Hating Living :(
Mar 15, 2010
7,534
962
Hudson River Valley, NY
✟19,360.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
Are people here advocating working eight hours a day for two lousy bucks because that is better than noting? That is a total waste of eight hours. You could make two bucks in less than an hour of collecting pop cans and spend the rest of the day looking for a job. That would be better time management.
That's subjective opinion. What if you don't find a job? Some have spent months looking for a job. Would at least some of their time have been better spent earning 2 dollars a day? Or absolutely not? Maybe your time isn't worth 2 dollars a day but then again you might not be in a state of desperation like many Americans are.

Is two bucks really "lousy" when you have no food to eat? I'd think those 2 bucks would be quite valuable to me.
 
Upvote 0

Fenny the Fox

Well-Known Member
Apr 21, 2009
4,147
315
Rock Hill, SC
Visit site
✟23,619.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Legal Union (Other)
Are people here advocating working eight hours a day for two lousy bucks because that is better than noting? That is a total waste of eight hours. You could make two bucks in less than an hour of collecting pop cans and spend the rest of the day looking for a job. That would be better time management.

That would be roughly 75 cans (assuming 80cent to the pound - good estimate I think, but I do not currently know what the rate is).
That is a lot of cans, when you get down to it. But then again, I don't know where you live...
 
Upvote 0

Umaro

Senior Veteran
Dec 22, 2006
4,497
213
✟13,505.00
Faith
Atheist
Marital Status
Private
Are people here advocating working eight hours a day for two lousy bucks because that is better than noting? That is a total waste of eight hours. You could make two bucks in less than an hour of collecting pop cans and spend the rest of the day looking for a job. That would be better time management.


That's sort of the point. We have all these people saying "all those lazy welfare recipients should get off their cans and get a job," but the jobs are literally not worth doing. It's a fundamental flaw with our system. We're reaching the end of the "race to the bottom"

And please show me the words of 1 single Republican who wants to take away Food Stamps. Just 1 is all I'm askin' for. Who is actively trying to make that a reality? Dragging that into this is irrelevant but since you brought it up I'd still like to know.

GOP cuts target food aid for low-income families - CBS News
 
Upvote 0

Zoooma

Hating Living :(
Mar 15, 2010
7,534
962
Hudson River Valley, NY
✟19,360.00
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
We have all these people saying "all those lazy welfare recipients should get off their cans and get a job," but the jobs are literally not worth doing.
When someone is desperate then a job at 6 dollars an hour or 3 dollars an hour, or as we can see, even 25¢ an hour IS worth doing. Don't say it's not if you're not the one in desperate need.

I asked you for something different, Umaro. I'll ask it again -- please show me the words of 1 single Republican who wants to take away Food Stamps. Just 1 is all I'm askin' for. Who is actively trying to make that a reality?
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Fenny the Fox

Well-Known Member
Apr 21, 2009
4,147
315
Rock Hill, SC
Visit site
✟23,619.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Legal Union (Other)
And please show me the words of 1 single Republican who wants to take away Food Stamps. Just 1 is all I'm askin' for. Who is actively trying to make that a reality? Dragging that into this is irrelevant but since you brought it up I'd still like to know.

You went there? Okay:
-Rand Paul (Budget plan made large cuts therein)
-Paul Ryan (budget plan made large cuts therein)
-Newt Gingrich [ http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/the-gaggle/2010/10/05/gop-closing-arguments-no-more-food-stamps.html ]
To name only a few.
 
Upvote 0

Fenny the Fox

Well-Known Member
Apr 21, 2009
4,147
315
Rock Hill, SC
Visit site
✟23,619.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Legal Union (Other)
You can do just about anything in the US and make 10 times that.

Which would still be far below minimum wage.

Also, this was not a poll. The test was done by posting available jobs and seeing how many people actually responded to said jobs.
 
Upvote 0

Douger

Veteran
Oct 2, 2004
7,054
878
✟165,821.00
Faith
Christian
Which would still be far below minimum wage.
So? Still doesn't explain why anyone would work for $.25 an hour.
Fenny the Fox said:
Also, this was not a poll. The test was done by posting available jobs and seeing how many people actually responded to said jobs.
But did they do the jobs? The article doesn't make that part clear.
If they actually did the jobs, then maybe this is legit.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

Fenny the Fox

Well-Known Member
Apr 21, 2009
4,147
315
Rock Hill, SC
Visit site
✟23,619.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Legal Union (Other)
So? Still doesn't explain why anyone would work for $.25 an hour.

Just a point to show how low it really is.

But did they do the jobs? The article doesn't make that part clear.
If they actually did the jobs, then maybe this is legit.

"In a weeks-long experiment, we posted simple, hourlong jobs (listening to audio recordings and counting instances of a specific keyword) and continually lowered our offer until we found the absolute bottom price that multiple people would accept, and then complete the task."

Yes, they did the job.
 
Upvote 0