It makes me so angry how badly people devalue labor.

If you work a full time job but don't make enough money, so many people tell you "Well that's on you, if only you had a better job." As if the work you already do isn't valuable, and you don't deserve to be paid accordingly to it.

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SW-User

[c=#BF0000]Well, the more educated and skilled you are the more money you'll make with a better job 🤷‍♀️. The labor jobs are important but don't require much education and pretty much anyone can learn dat skill and get a labor job easily so they get paid less. Now it depends wut your home budget is and whether you're just feeding yourself or a spouse and kids who could possibly be 2,3,4 or 5 so you'll need more money. Some people can live just fine with labor jobs if they're only fending for themselves. So 'not making enough money' is subjective[/c]

BlueMetalChick · 26-30, F

@SW-User Higher jobs should earn higher pay, but labor jobs are still necessary, and more importantly, more common. Not everyone can work a higher job because not nearly enough of them exist. Those who work labor jobs need to be paid at least enough to support themselves.

Powderflask · 31-35, M

@SW-User I'd say it is subjective, but I do encourage fair market. I struggled for a while bc minimum wage where I live isn't liveable.

SW-User

@BlueMetalChick you’re very right, as the “labor” jobs, drive the economy...

SW-User

[c=#BF0000]Like I said it depends how many people you're fending for. If it's not enough for even yourself then I agree you should make enough to at least be able to support yourself[/c]@BlueMetalChick @Powderflask

Powderflask · 31-35, M

@SW-User yeah minimum wage in the state of TN is $7.25 an hour. So a whole 40 hour weeks paycheck is HALF your rent.

BlueMetalChick · 26-30, F

@Powderflask I forget what the minimum wage is here. It's higher than $7.25 at least because the cost of living in a city of three and a half million people is higher than the cost of living in most of Tennessee, I'd imagine.

Powderflask · 31-35, M

@BlueMetalChick right I'm not implying other ppl don't have a higher cost of living. My brother lives in a city his rent is $1000. I don't- rent here is closer to $400. But $250 a week does not pay all your bills period.

hippyjoe1955 · 61-69, M

@Powderflask So the solution is to find a better paying job and if that includes upgrading your skill set so be it. No one is forcing you to stay in a low paying job.

BlueMetalChick · 26-30, F

@hippyjoe1955 Then you're saying every single person who is not earning enough money needs to find a better paying job.

Which means that over half the jobs in the country would be vacant.

I don't think you realize this but those lower paying jobs are still necessary to society. They're still integral to society. It's logically impossible for every person to simple "get a better job". If you work at an office and you don't make enough money, so you try to get a promotion, you have to compete against everyone else in the office for that promotion. Only a small number of people can earn that promotion or get that pay raise. Most of them won't be able to do it. Meaning most of your workers still still be underpaid.

That shouldn't be acceptable. Having a majority of your work force which is employed full time and performing jobs necessary to the economy but who aren't being paid is not a properly functioning capitalist society.