General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Want to see the real welfare queen? [View all]Victor_c3
(3,557 posts)I was making the argument a few days ago that we subsidize the low wages that Walmart pays its employees with our tax dollars and benefits. Now I actually have some numbers and facts to back that up with.
Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't want Walmart employees (or other people in need) to get assistance that they need, but I'd rather see them get paid $12 an hour instead of $8.08 (the average pay a Walmart employee receives) and maybe not need as much help.
The difference between two parents working 40 hours a week at $8 an hour and two parents working that same amount at $12 an hour is $32k a year and $48k a year - almost a livable income (You won't make it too far on $48k a year living outside of NYC).
I don't know what it would mean to the prices of cheap goods that we are accustomed to, but I wonder how much a move to increase minimum wage that drastically would impact our economy.