America Has More Low-Paying Jobs Than Any Other Developed Country

[Blackjack200]

Funny how China and India was convieniently not on that list.

Go to Google and type OECD.

 

[Anarchist420]

I am not saying we don't need increases in wages esp given that they have essentially been flat for a while now but I wonder about the importance of this graph. I mean sure Portugal has a lot of high paying jobs but it also has an unemployment rate over 2x ours. Of the 'top 5' developed countries with the most high paying jobs only Switzerland has a lower unemployment. 'Low wage jobs' seem to have increased by 0.3% since 2009 according to the 2011 OECD (24.8% to 25.1%) According to this report the US 'low paying jobs' as measured by OECD in 2005 was about 24%, about 25% in 1995 and about 24% in 1985 so this doesn't seem to be anything close to a new development. We have been above the OECD norm for at least 30 years http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/pub...cms_145083.pdf

+1. I was going to say just as many would be dissatisfied if the median wage was double what it is and the unemployment rate was 1%age point higher. There are ways to "get the goods" without using the greenback.

Wages are prices for labor. There are costs to paying wages. No individual or even group of individuals can have everything.

As a republican, although not rich, I am ashamed of those numbers. Ross Perot warned us 20 years ago this would happen, yet clinton was elected. The American people reap what they sow. You vote the same people into office year after year, this is what you get.

Ross Perot could've networked and used his own money to create jobs if he wanted to (assuming he had the talent). but instead, he became intellectually lazy and too protective of the $ gains he made. And a balance of trade is not inherently good. Even for those who care about national security, protectionism is already in place like with the Harmonized Tarriff Schedule, patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade agreements, and U.S.G controlling the WTO. And the avg IQ of all Americans as well as the average support for the State to prop up industry, are similar to what is actually happening in China, so manufacturing wouldn't be any better here. The only smart person alive to still be a classical protectionist and who was in office sometime over the past 25 years is Jim Traficant. We have people like David Duke and Pat Buchanan advocating for tariffs and taxes on production they believe to be morally wrong.

legal tender, revenue growth, and high public expenditures could be partly responsible among other human actions (whether they are individualistic or not).

Replacing all current national taxes with collection of 1 ounce of gold each time ten ounces are sent out (except no collections during one full quarter of the year and no punishments when someone sends gold out without paying at the border), the congresses and presidents recognizing all gold of 95% or higher purity as the only form of u.s.g. revenue, and minimal surpluses/minimal deficits is about as trade neutral for the long term coexisting with a non-confederation form of govt as I can think of.

 

[Exterous]

Which explains why wealth inequality is growing

Only if we know that the percent of low paying jobs is higher after 1985 than it was before 1985. I cannot find any data on this prior to 1985 - can you? If not you are making assumptions based on data that isn't there because if low paying jobs comprised about 25% from 1960 or 1945 until now then this doesn't explain it at all

 

[Scarpozzi]

Interesting graph....what's even more interesting is that most of those jobs are filled by migrant workers that don't have green cards.

 

[Engineer]

I am not saying we don't need increases in wages esp given that they have essentially been flat for a while now but I wonder about the importance of this graph. I mean sure Portugal has a lot of high paying jobs but it also has an unemployment rate over 2x ours. Of the 'top 5' developed countries with the most high paying jobs only Switzerland has a lower unemployment.

'Low wage jobs' seem to have increased by 0.3% since 2009 according to the 2011 OECD (24.8% to 25.1%)

According to this report the US 'low paying jobs' as measured by OECD in 2005 was about 24%, about 25% in 1995 and about 24% in 1985 so this doesn't seem to be anything close to a new development. We have been above the OECD norm for at least 30 years

http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---integration/documents/publication/wcms_145083.pdf

You seem to be right but with median wages falling and this being based on median wages, it would seem to indicate that our 25% of jobs (low wage) are the highest in the industrial world and that the low wage jobs have falling wages.

 

[fskimospy]

Not saying this is a democrat republican issue but both sides are at fault and they both want everyone to trade stocks no matter your background/job title is.

The goal here is to crash the economy so bad that soon USA dollar will be weaker than lets say vietnam. So then now everyone will start to buy American goods again.

Crashing the dollar is the main goal here and the only thing preventing it are the isolationists/protectionists who are old school hard liners.

You realize the dollar has significantly increased in value in recent years, right?

If they are trying to crash the dollar they are doing a bad job of it.

 

[Texashiker]

You realize the dollar has significantly increased in value in recent years, right?

If they are trying to crash the dollar they are doing a bad job of it.

Is that why everything keeps going up in price, because the dollar has gained value?

Just a few months ago you were claiming deflation was bad. Now you are saying it is good?

When prices start to go down, then you can claim the dollar has gained value. Seen the price of food lately? Bought a can of beans, hamburger or bacon lately? The dollar has not gained crap. Every month we lose a little more buying power.

 

[Attic]

Graph makes sense when considering the exploding wealth inequality in the US.

Not an easy answer to solve, but the simple take away is that it will stay this way or get worse unless something fundamental changes in the way we do our economy.


War has a way of solving these things where other routes have failed.

 

[Svnla]

And politicians want to get ten of million of ILLEGALS here to compete with the unskilled US citizens for these crappy/low paying job? Talk about crazy/nut/<fill in the blank>.

 

[Exterous]

You seem to be right but with median wages falling and this being based on median wages, it would seem to indicate that our 25% of jobs (low wage) are the highest in the industrial world and that the low wage jobs have falling wages.

I was surprised that the 'low wage jobs' peg really hasn't moved much at all in the last 30 years. I expected it to be much higher during in the 2009 range - not pretty much the same as '85, 95, 05 and 2011. I can see how this would contribute but I think focus needs to be directed elsewhere as I would bet a lot of money that this is only a small contributing statistic

Graph makes sense when considering the exploding wealth inequality in the US.

Considering that this percentage has been relatively stable for 30+ years I think we need to look elsewhere for a larger cause of the explosion

 

[Jhhnn]

Only if we know that the percent of low paying jobs is higher after 1985 than it was before 1985. I cannot find any data on this prior to 1985 - can you? If not you are making assumptions based on data that isn't there because if low paying jobs comprised about 25% from 1960 or 1945 until now then this doesn't explain it at all

We can find it indirectly. Table 5-

http://taxfoundation.org/article/summary-latest-federal-income-tax-data

Notice the decline of income share for the lowest 50% & the enormous growth at the top. Notice also that the top .1% share today is the same as the top 1% share in 1982. That's staggering.

Also notice particularly 2005-2007, the time of the greatest top down looting spree in the history of finance.

 

[piasabird]

I wonder what they determine a low wage paying job is? In some countries the cost of living is different and it is hard to make a comparison. Often in other countries the percentage they pay in tax is higher also. There are a lot of different factors.

 

[piasabird]

What about Mexico and Russia?

 

[fleshconsumed]

I wonder what they determine a low wage paying job is? In some countries the cost of living is different and it is hard to make a comparison. Often in other countries the percentage they pay in tax is higher also. There are a lot of different factors.

Did you read the article, or even OP at all? It's right there in the OP, low income is defined as less than 2/3rds of median income.

 

[piasabird]

US has a higher Median Income. We have a lot of billionaires. This might indicate people have a better chance of getting rich in the USA. This throws the statistics out of balance. You are suppose to kick out the outliers and ignore them in statistics.

Don't take these stupid charts at face value you have to be intelligent enough to interpret them.

Go study economics.

 

[Franz316]

Nice! That makes a trifecta of number 1's for the US!

First in education costs, first in medical costs, and now first in low paying jobs! What an awesome combination. I went to Wendy's the other day and the combo prices were over $7. That means someone who makes minimum wage has to work more than hour just to eat shitty food!

As for the the ridiculous wealth inequality that exists now - I don't care where you stand politically - you have to admit that its existence is not only economically destructive but also socially detrimental. Nothing good will come from .1% controlling 90% of a nations wealth and it does not bode well for the future. It's just as bad globally too, 85 people owning the same as 3.5 billion, lol?

 

[TuSpockShakur]

US has a higher Median Income. We have a lot of billionaires. This might indicate people have a better chance of getting rich in the USA. This throws the statistics out of balance. You are suppose to kick out the outliers and ignore them in statistics.

Don't take these stupid charts at face value you have to be intelligent enough to interpret them.

Go study economics.

Me thinks you don't know what the word MEDIAN means.

 

[Engineer]

Me thinks you don't know what the word MEDIAN means.

LOL, I was just thinking the same thing. :biggrin:

 

[Exterous]

We can find it indirectly.

Not really. That shows percent income decreasing but has nothing to do with percent of low wage jobs. While one tends to follow the other there is no guarantee of a direct link with the data provided. Given that it specifies the bottom 50% that leaves a lot of potential room for changes outside the 25% low wage jobs. The data is further complicated because while the low wage job percentage has dropped there is no perceivable change in the bottom 50%. If these were more accurately linked you would expect to see a notable change during periods where the percent low wage jobs decreased. Instead there is a steady decrease (aside form 90-91) despite a couple of multi-year trends where the percentage of low wage jobs has decreased

 

[BoberFett]

The main reason why this is taking place is GREED. I don't see how anyone cam see it differently. It's greed. Pure and simple.

Yes, consumers are quite greedy.

 

[Matt1970]

Yes, consumers are quite greedy.

Yep, keep buying shit made in China and then bitch about the jobs going bye-bye.

 

[StinkyPinky]

I don't think The US has ever had the highest median income in the world. Small, wealthy countries like Kuwait or Monaco typically do.

Also...

Counties doing better than us by this measure: Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, New Zealand. Yeah, workers are doing great in those places.

I'm based in New Zealand and they're doing very well here. What are you talking about?

 

[Anarchist420]

You realize the dollar has significantly increased in value in recent years, right? If they are trying to crash the dollar they are doing a bad job of it.

You must have a lot of cash... you remind me of mitt romney even more than i remind myself of him. And value is subjective. If i am never satisfied with a $300/month pension or insurance policy but someone else is totally satisfied with it, then how can value be objective?

 

[Jhhnn]

Yes, consumers are quite greedy.

As compared to taking home mega millions per year, or what?

 

[BoberFett]

As compared to taking home mega millions per year, or what?

Consumers prefer foreign made, because they're greedy and can buy twice the stuff they could if they bought American. We need our iPhone 6 goddammit! Get those Chinese factories rolling!

Is a consumer who can consume twice as much an less greedy than the CEO who doubles his pay? They both get twice as much.