Ishtarr
Posts: 1130
Joined: 4/30/2008 Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: tazzygirl In order to make a comparison between the two countries, you would also have to compare the costs associated with making the item, gas prices, wages at a minimum. otherwise, the numbers are not that meaningful. For example.. in 2004, according to this site... http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/2005/07/study/tn0507101s.htm The minimum wage in EU for Belgium is 1210. Converted to US dollars, 1,600 thats 400 a week, and the company pays their drivers gas and provides autos. If they did that here, they would have the cream of the crop of drivers. Here, they make at the most 300 a week, then get reimbursed 50 cents a mile. They would have to drive 200 miles a week to make up the difference. Then the wear and tear on their personal autos... I agree, to compare absolutely would be near impossible. If for no other reason than that you'd have to go through the entire tax, social security and health care law of both countries. Especially considering that health care is nationalized in Belgium, and full (better than the US in my personal opinion) dental and health care coverage is available at a cost of about $40 a year (not considering taxes) for every Belgian citizen. I have the feeling that dollar for dollar, $400 gives you more buying power in the US than it does in Belgium. But because of the extra benefits one has in Belgium (paid vacation, health care, better social security, tons of "free" services) it's again hard to make a comparison, because most of those things would be simple unaffordable on a $400 wage in the US. In the end, I feel like you have more of a personal choice on how to spend your money in the US, but you're less able to buy the same level of security with it than the same amount in Belgium does. I'm sure both systems have their benefits and drawbacks from that point of view, I often wish we could have something in the middle -> a more free market. quote:
ORIGINAL: tazzygirl All I can say is.. be thankful there are still delivery drivers. Yes, thank god that we've got anybody still working in the service industry in the US. I totally get why the waitress in my favorite restaurant does her job. Ticket prices for a table for two are seldom less than $100-$150 there. Assuming she does an average of 4 tables an hour, with everybody tipping an average of 20%, she'll make $100 an hour in tips; even if she's only getting tipped 15%, she's still taking in $75 and hour for four tables of two. No idea how much of that she shares with the other staff that doesn't do table service, but I'm sure she still takes home a nice paycheck. What I'm not too sure about is how a place like Denny's is still able to find waitstaff. With wages in the service industry being as low as they are, and tips there being next to nothing, it's unbelievable to me that people actually want to work there. But with the whole American wage system being totally different than it is in Belgium (my husband for example, makes about 15% more here than he would for the same job in Belgium) and with Americans being used to minimum wages being as low as what they are here, a lot of people must be taking those jobs because they simple don't have another option.
< Message edited by Ishtarr -- 11/26/2011 9:38:39 PM >
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