Reply #32: In many expensive metro areas..no one pays minimum

[formernaderite]

My youngest daughter, who's graduating high school, got a job at a mall store earning $9.50 per hour. Why so much, apparently because she already had experience...ie. had worked in a store over the summer making 7 bucks per hour. That's just shocking to me.

I happen to work in construction, and some of the subcontractors I know can't hire anyone for under ten bucks per hour. We're talking completely unskilled labor. If you are a little more skilled than hole digging you can easily ask $15 per hour starting rate.

Don't think they find it easy to fill those positions...in fact there seem to be virtually no Americans who want the work. Some of the larger construction companies do job fairs in the city to attract minority workers...it's really surprising how few people want to get their hands dirty. Well, obviously we all get responses from undocumented workers. Times have certainly changed since I was young. I was happy picking up whatever job I could. I guess in some areas of the country, minimum wage may make a difference...but not here on the east coast.