Minimum Wage
Since 2009, the federal minimum wage in the United States has been $7.25, which works out to about $15,000 a year for a 40 hour work week. The Democrats are currently working to raise the federal minimum wage to $15.00 an hour and are meeting opposition. ( Some states have a higher than $7.25 minimum wage.)
This had me wondering about the minimum wage standards in Japan. According to wageindicator.org, which says it is valid as of February 2021, the prefectures with the highest minimum wage (and the only two over 1000 JPY an hour) are Tokyo and Kanagawa at 1013 JPY and 1011 JPY per hour, less than $9.60 in USD at today's exchange rate. Quite a few prefectures list 790 JPY (about $7.46) as their minimum, so that might be the federal minimum also. In my prefecture, Shizuoka, the minimum is 885 JPY, or about $8.36.
What is the minimum wage where you live? Is it enough, or do you think it should be higher?
6 comments:
I guess that is why tipping is so common in the US, to bring the persons wages up a bit? The minimum here on Aus is $19.84 per hour, I think it is a struggle for people on that wage but a lot manage well.
Federal law says tipped employees only have to be paid $2.13 an hour by the employer, as long as tips bring them up to at least $7.25.
I live in New York. (No one can survive here on $15,000 a year; it is not easy on double that). New York State is currently $12.50 and New York City is $15 an hour. Better, but not great. It is an expensive area. Many Hourly jobs do not have health coverage. I personally believe that the minimum wage should be a living wage.
Interestingly enough there is no legal minimum wage in Sweden!!!! The wages are negotiated between employers and the labour unions. The minimun wage/hour for hotel and restaurant staff with no professional training is US$16.68 (that would be 1.765¥). Not too bad, but then again a tip is not obvious, and seldom given to cleaners or dishwashers.
I read that there has been a push from the EU that Sweden should introduce minimum wages, but the trade unions have opposed this as the Swedish average income is far higher than that of other EU nations.
I honestly don't know Michigan's minimum wage -- it's either in the $7 or $9 area, I do know that. The real question would be what the costs of living are to be with the wage. Not just food or shopping but things like insurance, health care, utilities. I think you have national health-type insurance, so coming out of taxes, not wages? Which might leave one with more disposable income for other things. It's an interesting thought.
Minimum wage in Germany was just raised to 9,50€ this year. I'm a little torn about that - I guess it's okay for students just working a couple hours a week to earn extra cash (the cost of going to university is much lower in Germany than, say, the US), but it's a little low if it's your actual full time job and you have to live on it!
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