News Faster Small Business & Retail Job Growth in States w/ Higher Minimum Wages

[turbo]

It's best to raise wages indirectly. If rich people put greater fractions of their wealth into the poor regions of the economy (whether it is the global economy or state economy), those poorer regions will be able to develop their economy.

You are evidently a young person who has not benefited from the experience of Reagan's "trickle down" economics (Bush Sr. called it "voodoo economics"). Giving infusions of cash to the wealthy does not benefit the lower wage earners nor our economy in any measurable way. Bush Jr. either did not learn this lesson, or he does not give a damn about the people on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. He has gleefully given tax cuts to the wealthy while spending obscene amounts of our money on a "war" designed to enrich his friends while destabilizing the ME and piling up a massive debt that we will all have to pay.

If Bush had pushed Congress to increase the minimum wage, the amount of money in our local economies would have increased and businesses (large and small) would be more prosperous. People making minimum wage typically spend every bit of money that they make, meaning that any increase in that wage will translate into more economic activity almost instantly. You cannot get this effect by decreasing taxes on the wealthy, although the "conservatives" in the administration will not admit this. Maybe it's time to approve the use of their "non-torture" interrogation techniques on them to get the truth out of them. After all, it's a matter of our national security, and thoroughly justifiable.

 

[kmarinas86]

Norway is known for ease of employment. Basically the only people who are unemployed there, want to be unemployed. In France the same can be said, the structure of France and Belgium (Where I currently reside) arent so different, I am a sub-contractor, or consultant, whatever you want to call it. I have no fear of finding jobs, there are loads here, and equally there are loads in France.

From what they teach me at the University of Houston, the US Labor Statistics only counts unemployment for people who are looking for a job and have not given up. Those who are not looking or have given up are not part of the US labor force. The only employed and only umemployed are in the US Labor force, and everyone who is neither employed nor unemployed not in it.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unemployed

In economics, a person who is able and willing to work yet is unable to find a paying job is considered unemployed. The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed workers divided by the total civilian labor force, which includes both the unemployed and those with jobs (all those willing and able to work for pay). In practice, measuring the number of unemployed workers actually seeking work is notoriously difficult. ...

Norway then must have a very low unemployment rate, using US methods of measuring unemployment.

In fact:

http://www.google.com/search?q=unemployment+in+norway
http://www.google.com/search?q=unemployment+rate++united+states

 

[russ_watters]

Not really. It is fairly easy to get a job in Norway, even in times of financial distress.
Those who are out of job over a longer period of time usually have a medical condition that on some level reduce their ability to perform a satisfactory workload for an employer.

Like I said before, Norway is pretty unique due to its low population and abundant natural resources. Other European countries are not so lucky.

 

[russ_watters]

In France the same can be said, the structure of France and Belgium (Where I currently reside) arent so different, I am a sub-contractor, or consultant, whatever you want to call it. I have no fear of finding jobs, there are loads here, and equally there are loads in France. You seem to be speaking from a position of Zero experience with the job markets here, except perhaps what you read.

http://offres.monster.fr/jobsearch.asp?re=5&pg=1&vw=b&cy=fr&sort=rv

This is monster.fr I'll admit its mostly IT jobs, but there are 2 pages worth of opportunities for 1 day, and its a Monday which typically is not the hottest day to find new jobs.

I'm glad you are doing well, but the statistics are real and a Monster.com listing is utterly useless for point-making.

So what are you basing your ideals on Russ? Some case study by a capitalist?

Real raw statistics, Anttech. Even data provided by the socialists themselves support my points here. Who do you think gives out the French unemployment stats? Its the French government! You know the numbers. You know they are real: ~10% general unemployment, ~25% youth unemployment, lower gdp growth than the US in 13 of the last 14 years, widespread rioting over the job situation, etc. These do not paint the picture of a healthy economic situation.

Anecdotal evidence? Utterly pointless and you know it.

You don't like data even if it is from socialists if it is linked through an anti-socialist blog, fine. Here's a respected business journal:

Could the riots in France spell the beginning of the end of the European economic model?...

Yet the outbursts were supercharged by an economic system that not only tolerates but actually fosters sky-high youth unemployment. In September, an incredible 21.7% of 15- to 24-year-olds in France were unemployed, compared to only 11% in the U.S. and 12.6% in Britain. France isn't alone -- other European countries, such as Belgium, Spain, Greece, Italy, and Finland -- also have persistent youth unemployment rates above 20%.

Such sky-high levels of idle youth are a by-product of the welfare-state mentality that's still pervasive across much of Europe. The idea is that government's main role is to provide a safety net for the population, in terms of jobless and health benefits. Generating growth and creating jobs takes a distinctly lower priority, resulting in high unemployment, especially among the young.

This is a clear picture of a flawed, defunct system.

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/nov2005/nf2005117_3364_db039.htm

However, if you have a real argument to make and some real data and real opinions of real economists, I'd be more than happy to consider it. Do you have any economist opinions that say 20%+ youth unemployment is a good thing? You aren't doing anything useful here - its just bellyaching data that you don't like.

 

[Anttech]

Real raw statistics, Anttech. Even data provided by the socialists themselves support my points here. Who do you think gives out the French unemployment stats? Its the French government! You know the numbers. You know they are real: ~10% general unemployment, ~25% youth unemployment, lower gdp growth than the US in 13 of the last 14 years, widespread rioting over the job situation, etc. These do not paint the picture of a healthy economic situation.

As I said Russ, there is no problem finding jobs, whether the incentive for people is there is another thing entirely.

Thats my point, you seem to be asserting the unemployment is due to lack of Jobs, and a poor economy. I am asserting that it is nothing to do with that.

 

[russ_watters]

As I said Russ, there is no problem finding jobs, whether the incentive for people is there is another thing entirely.

Thats my point, you seem to be asserting the unemployment is due to lack of Jobs, and a poor economy. I am asserting that it is nothing to do with that.

So... you're saying that there are a lot of jobs out there and there are a lot of people unemployed, but people just don't feel like working, so the jobs go unfilled? I rather doubt that due to the civil unrest (people who are too lazy to work do not riot), but even if it is true, how does that change the basic point? France's economy is in the toilet either way, its just that if you are correct it is in the toilet because the French are lazy, while I'm saying it is in the toilet because the system is flawed. Heck, it's probably even the same point - if the French are too lazy to work, it is probably because the system makes them that way. Social welfare certainly does breed lassitude - it is a big problem in the US as well.