Serious Question to anyone who works in retail

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by Mattyk

Min. wage as it is right now is certainly not a livable wage.

It's not intended to be. The far majority of people making minimum wage are not working as a head of household or to support a family, they're usually kids. Increasing it so these kids make more money is only going to result in the company hiring fewer of them, or paying the rest of their employees less since the Government is costing them more for lower-priority, nonessential workers.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by Buster

It's not intended to be. The far majority of people making minimum wage are not working as a head of household or to support a family, they're usually kids. Increasing it so these kids make more money is only going to result in the company hiring fewer of them, or paying the rest of their employees less since the Government is costing them more for lower-priority, nonessential workers.

The latest data I can find from 2007 shows it's more like 50/50

Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers: 2007

[tryfuhl]

Originally Posted by Buster

It's not intended to be. The far majority of people making minimum wage are not working as a head of household or to support a family, they're usually kids. Increasing it so these kids make more money is only going to result in the company hiring fewer of them, or paying the rest of their employees less since the Government is costing them more for lower-priority, nonessential workers.

Walk into a lot of min wage places.. gas stations, retail, food service

a lot of adults

[DynamiteRave]

Originally Posted by Buster

It's not intended to be. The far majority of people making minimum wage are not working as a head of household or to support a family, they're usually kids. Increasing it so these kids make more money is only going to result in the company hiring fewer of them, or paying the rest of their employees less since the Government is costing them more for lower-priority, nonessential workers.

I used to work a minimum wage job a few years back and trust me. They had people from 18 - at least 50 or 60 working there. I'm making a little more than minimum wage now and still the same thing. A couple years ago at my current job, this guy was 70 at working till he got a new job. If I had to guess, (just like the link Matty provided) I would think it's at least a 50/50 split.

Even at burger joints I haven't been seeing as many kids/college students working. I'm more likely to see them waiting tables than anywhere else..