Nicholas Sarwark“But don’t those countries have more security in the form of better welfare states? To a degree, but it’s not the security to live at an American standard of living. The UK jobseekers’ allowance (unemployment insurance) is £70-90 a week (or $89-114). That’s it. A little under £5,000 a year. Most Americans I’ve mentioned this to find that preposterously low, but that’s only because they’re viewing it in the context of American wages.
In contrast, the US left has long held $15/hr (or $31,000/yr full time) to be the bare minimum and, increasingly, through both legislation and a good labour market, wages are catching up to that. On average, that’s what the barista mentioned earlier earns, and many service workers are able to claim $18-20/ HR, or around $40,000 annually.
In many countries this is what doctors earn. In the UK, the salary for an NHS Junior Doctor is £32,000 ($40,000).”
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