Australian Minimum Wage Increased by 5.75%

Ceallaigh

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It might be better if you take your economics advice from a better-informed source than 'employees in a burger joint'.

The relationship between increased wages and higher prices can be complex and will vary between businesses. Wages are only one cost among many.

OB
To me it makes more sense to hear from minimum wage employees on what they experience financially, than from those who are far removed from that experience.
 
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Bradskii

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To me it makes more sense to hear from minimum wage employees on what they experience financially, than from those who are far removed from that experience.
Bear in mind that this isn't a general pay increase across the board. It's saying that those under the minimum wage must get an increase. If everyone got a 5% increase then you could argue that there might be an effect on inflation.

But let's say it was just Mackers workers that had the small increase. And the cost of burgers therefore increased slightly. Unless you lived on burgers, the inflationary effect would be minimal to non existent. If sheep farmers were already paying minimum wage then the cost of a leg of lamb wouldn't increase. If bus companies were already paying minimum wages then the cost of tickets wouldn't increase.

As OB said, if you can't afford to pay the absolute minimum to your staff then your business model will fail. It doesn't deserve to succeed. It's economic Darwinism if you like.
 
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Nithavela

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You seem to operate under the assumption that every burger joint employee makes burgers. Also it's likely that burger joints operate based on a bottom line as far as how much is allocated to payroll, no matter how many burgers are sold per hour on average.
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Nithavela

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In 2019, Denmark's tax-to-GDP ratio was at 46.3%. This compares to a ratio of 24.5% in the United States.

Tax in Denmark is nearly twice that of the United States.
Do you think denmark subsidises the price of big macs with tax money?
 
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Nithavela

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In 2019, Denmark's tax-to-GDP ratio was at 46.3%. This compares to a ratio of 24.5% in the United States.

Tax in Denmark is nearly twice that of the United States.
For my own amusement, I just punched in the income for a Mac Donalds worker working at 22 Euros per hour, 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, which adds up to 45760 Euros. In Kopenhagen, the capital of denmark, you pay 31 % tax on that, so you take home 31489 euros.


In Illinois, where the minimum wage is 13 Dollars per hour and thus on the higher end of US rates, a Mac Donalds worker working 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year makes 27.040 Dollar. On that, he pays 4772 Euros tax and takes home 22.268 Dollar, or 20761 Euro.


All numbers are subject to change on currency exchange rates, but shouldn't vary too much.

At the same time, Life in Illinois is 17.7 % more expensive. So adjusting for that, MacDonalds workers with the wages of denmark have a spending power of 37.062 Euros, or 178.5 % of the spending power of a MacDonalds worker in Illinois.


And that's not even touching all the other benefits a MacDonalds worker in Denmark has over his compatriot in the USA, like paid vacation or maternity/paternity leave.

And all that for the price of 35 cents more for a Big Mac.
 
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Ceallaigh

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Do you think denmark subsidises the price of big macs with tax money?
What I'm saying is when there's a higher base salary, there's a higher cost of living. San Francisco McDonald's workers are also paid $22 per hour.
See that meme is based on a tweet by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Who's not all that bright in my opinion. She probably looked at the per hour pay in a very low cost of living state/city and compared it to Denmark (probably Copenhagen to be more specific) where the cost of living is much higher. So McDonald's workers in Copenhagen don't really make more than McDonald's workers in the US, once the cost of living and tax is factored in. Now let's say wherever McDonald's employees are making $9 per hour, If that gets jacked up to $15 like AOC wants, I guarantee the cost of living in that area is going to get a lot higher.

As for those other perks, those apply to all residents of Denmark. Which is why they pay twice as much in tax. As for what the union is giving them, how much are their union dues?

It all adds up to about the same take home same pay in Denmark as in the US.
 
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Nithavela

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What I'm saying is when there's a higher base salary, there's a higher cost of living. San Francisco McDonald's workers are also paid $22 per hour.
See that meme is based on a tweet by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Who's not all that bright in my opinion. She probably looked at the per hour pay in a very low cost of living state/city and compared it to Denmark (probably Copenhagen to be more specific) where the cost of living is much higher. So McDonald's workers in Copenhagen don't really make more than McDonald's workers in the US, once the cost of living and tax is factored in. Now let's say wherever McDonald's employees are making $9 per hour, If that gets jacked up to $15 like AOC wants, I guarantee the cost of living in that area is going to get a lot higher.

As for those other perks, those apply to all residents of Denmark. Which is why they pay twice as much in tax. As for what the union is giving them, how much are their union dues?

It all adds up to about the same take home same pay in Denmark as in the US.
For a response to this post, please see #26
 
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Ceallaigh

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For my own amusement, I just punched in the income for a Mac Donalds worker working at 22 Euros per hour, 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, which adds up to 45760 Euros. In Kopenhagen, the capital of denmark, you pay 31 % tax on that, so you take home 31489 euros.


In Illinois, where the minimum wage is 13 Dollars per hour and thus on the higher end of US rates, a Mac Donalds worker working 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year makes 27.040 Dollar. On that, he pays 4772 Euros tax and takes home 22.268 Dollar, or 20761 Euro.


All numbers are subject to change on currency exchange rates, but shouldn't vary too much.

At the same time, Life in Illinois is 17.7 % more expensive. So adjusting for that, MacDonalds workers with the wages of denmark have a spending power of 37.062 Euros, or 178.5 % of the spending power of a MacDonalds worker in Illinois.


And that's not even touching all the other benefits a MacDonalds worker in Denmark has over his compatriot in the USA, like paid vacation or maternity/paternity leave.

And all that for the price of 35 cents more for a Big Mac.
Well you seem to be good at math. So if you say raising the price of something by 35 cents will mean wages will go from $9 to $22 plus all those other perks, I'll take your word for it.
 
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Nithavela

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Well you seem to be good at math. So if you say raising the price of something by 35 cents will mean wages will go from $9 to $22 plus all those other perks, I'll take your word for it.
Good thing I didn't say that, eh?
 
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Nithavela

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Then what were you saying as far as $9 vs how many dollars for a 35 cent product increase? Keep it as simple as that meme.
What I am saying is that when you increase minimum wage, cost of living doesn't have to increase at a rate that negates that increase of wages.

In fact, the only way I can see such an increase is if corporations justify such an increase of costs with the rise of minimum wages, but pocket most of the additional revenue.
 
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