"Unexpectedly" poor jobs report...

[Route 45]

What about it? I don't really go to McDonalds so I wouldn't know but a quick google search tells me a big mac here in USA is 3.99. The other day driving past a McDonald's they were advertising NOW HIRING! (almost like they were struggling to find employees ) with a starting wage of like 11 bucks an hour iirc. So... Australia pays their employees approximately 60% more, and charges approximately 60% more for the big mac.

So, what are you getting at?

A Big Mac is $6.19 at McDonald's in Indianapolis.
A Big Mac is $6.40 at McDonald's in Sydney, Australia.

McDonald's at 5030 Southport Crossing Pl, Indianapolis, IN - Locations and Hours

McDonald's nearby at 5030 Southport Crossing Pl, Indianapolis, IN: Get restaurant menu, locations, hours, phone numbers, driving directions and more.

www.menuwithprice.com

McDonald's Menu Prices Australia (January 2024) | frugal feeds

Frugal Feed's McDonald's Menu Prices Australia page features an updated price list and menu information for Macca's in Australia, including burgers, meals and more!

www.frugalfeeds.com.au

 

[Tombs]

I guess I was way too conservative in my math... It's even worse than I thought.

 

[UnknownOne]

Minimum wage is $19.86 per hour, and a big mac is $6.60.

The australian dollar is worth 78 cents.

Which would make the pay equal to $15.50 usd. And the sandwich $5.15.

So the sandwich is 30% more expensive while wages are 70% higher. (Assuming the national average of $9 an hour for a mcdonalds employee)

You have supplied your own numbers that don't match what Route 45 laid out or what I have observed locally. Cool.

 

[Route 45]

In '78 there had just been two recent market downturns due to oil price shocks and under Carter, the inflation rate was 11.35% in '78, 13.5%% in '79 and 10.3% in '80

Interest on a 30 year mortgage was 9.64% in '78, 11.2% in '79 and 13.74% in '80 and in '78 a supreme court case, Marquette Nat. Bank v. First of Omaha Corp. effectively overturned state interest rate caps on credit cards, interest for which took off

But, do tell us how rough you've had it

Cool story, bro. Not sure what it has to do with the current job market, but ok.

BTW, what was the interest rate paid on savings accounts back then?

 

[Route 45]

You have supplied your own numbers that don't match what Route 45 laid out or what I have observed locally. Cool.

His numbers actually don't show the enormity of the disparity, as they are too conservative.
A crew member at McDonalds' in Australia averages $22.37 an hour, per Indeed.com.

McDonald's Crew Member salaries: How much does a McDonald's Crew Member make? | Indeed.com

Explore McDonald's Crew Member salaries in Australia collected directly from employees and jobs on Indeed.

au.indeed.com

Regardless, the "$15 Big Mac" referenced earlier in this thread is a myth.

 

[Tombs]

His numbers actually don't show the enormity of the disparity, as they are too conservative.
A crew member at McDonalds' in Australia averages $22.37 an hour, per Indeed.com.

McDonald's Crew Member salaries: How much does a McDonald's Crew Member make? | Indeed.com

Explore McDonald's Crew Member salaries in Australia collected directly from employees and jobs on Indeed.

au.indeed.com

Regardless, the "$15 Big Mac" referenced earlier in this thread is a myth.

Well with your numbers, the sandwich is actually cheaper in Australia while wages are 93% higher in Australia.

But you know, we're biden supporting communists for caring about the status of the American worker.

 

[UnknownOne]

His numbers actually don't show the enormity of the disparity, as they are too conservative.
A crew member at McDonalds' in Australia averages $22.37 an hour, per Indeed.com.

McDonald's Crew Member salaries: How much does a McDonald's Crew Member make? | Indeed.com

Explore McDonald's Crew Member salaries in Australia collected directly from employees and jobs on Indeed.

au.indeed.com

Regardless, the "$15 Big Mac" referenced earlier in this thread is a myth.

Per payscale.com average McDonald's hourly rate is 16.34 with a range from 11.24 to 23.89

McDonalds Australia Hourly Pay in Australia in 2023 | PayScale

The average hourly pay for McDonalds Australia in Australia is AU$15.98 in 2023. Visit Payscale to research McDonalds Australia hourly pay by city, experience, skill, employer and more.

www.payscale.com

I think the "15 big mac" referenced earlier was an obvious exaggeration to prove a point.

To continue further off the original jobs report topic... No, I don't think a burger flipper or a french fry maker deserves $15 an hour. At least not in every location in our country.

 

[UnknownOne]

But you know, we're biden supporting communists for caring about the status of the American worker.

I don't know you, and I don't really care. I have made no comments toward you about Biden or communism.

I care about the American worker just as much as you do. Maybe more. I'm just a regular ol blue collar guy myself. I don't support just throwing around a "living wage" for every single job in this country. Want to earn a living wage? Develop a skill. Pulling out a basket of fries when the fryer dings is not a skill.

 

[Route 45]

I don't know you, and I don't really care. I have made no comments toward you about Biden or communism.

I care about the American worker just as much as you do. Maybe more. I'm just a regular ol blue collar guy myself. I don't support just throwing around a "living wage" for every single job in this country. Want to earn a living wage? Develop a skill. Pulling out a basket of fries when the fryer dings is not a skill.

Who are you to determine what someone's labor is worth? Are Australian workers worth more than American workers?

 

[IndyDave1776]

Well my stock index funds are hitting records.

The unemployed are unemployed because they make more money being unemployed so no surprises the number was low.

So tell us more about this awesome policy of making unemployment more lucrative than working.

 

[UnknownOne]

Who are you to determine what someone's labor is worth? Are Australian workers worth more than American workers?

Who am I? Just another guy with an opinion, same as you.

As for Australian workers versus American workers... I think there is a great deal more to comparing pay between countries than you are admitting. And I think you know that.

 

[Tombs]

I don't know you, and I don't really care. I have made no comments toward you about Biden or communism.

I care about the American worker just as much as you do. Maybe more. I'm just a regular ol blue collar guy myself. I don't support just throwing around a "living wage" for every single job in this country. Want to earn a living wage? Develop a skill. Pulling out a basket of fries when the fryer dings is not a skill.

Maybe our concept of wages across the board are a bit on the ridiculous side, loaded with notions of how things ought to be rather than how things are. It's just higher up the wage scale, it starts to hurt less so there's less complaints.

I'm of the opinion that, if you're working full time, I don't care what it is, you should be able to afford to live in your own place at the most absurdly modest of levels. That has been how things were always in this country, and I don't see a reason why future generations should tolerate a lower standard of living than their parents did.

Now if you're working part time, okay sure, being able to live off that on an entry level job is ridiculous, I'll agree there. But everyone should be able to get out into the world as long as they're willing to put down more than 40 hours a week.
And skills cost a lot of money these days, as nobody wants to even talk to you without a laundry list of degrees and past experience. You need to be able to live somehow while paying for your education to get the things necessary for the next job.

 

[Tombs]

Who am I? Just another guy with an opinion, same as you.

As for Australian workers versus American workers... I think there is a great deal more to comparing pay between countries than you are admitting. And I think you know that.

Well, if you're just the average joe, taxes are a lot less invasive for you in Australia. 2% of your income covers all your medical expenses, and you can opt out if you'd rather do a private healthcare policy.

 

[UnknownOne]

Well, if you're just the average joe, taxes are a lot less invasive for you in Australia. 2% of your income covers all your medical expenses, and you can opt out if you'd rather do a private healthcare policy.

From a quick glance I sincerely hope a McDonald's worker in Australia would get paid more than a comparable worker here. If what this website says is accurate they pay more for almost every aspect of day to day life.

Australia vs United States: Cost of living Facts and Stats

1.5 litre bottle, After tax, Local purchasing power, Pack of Marlboro, Fresh, white and 48 More Interesting Facts and Stats

www.nationmaster.com

 

[Tombs]

From a quick glance I sincerely hope a McDonald's worker in Australia would get paid more than a comparable worker here. If what this website says is accurate they pay more for almost every aspect of day to day life.

Australia vs United States: Cost of living Facts and Stats

1.5 litre bottle, After tax, Local purchasing power, Pack of Marlboro, Fresh, white and 48 More Interesting Facts and Stats

www.nationmaster.com

Do keep in mind, their entire country is a coastal ring with a population less than California.

So you might want to use california to reference against Australia for apples to apples. Cost of living in the US can get absurdly cheap in some areas that drives the national average down a lot.

Also their minimum wage might be a bit deceptive, as basically there's minimum wages per given types of professions, and the 19.86 was the lowest possible. A friend of mine works in a lowend security job, just standing around, and the minimum wage for him is $32 an hour.

 

[UnknownOne]

Do keep in mind, their entire country is a coastal ring with a population less than California.

So you might want to use california to reference against Australia for apples to apples. Cost of living in the US can get absurdly cheap in some areas that drives the national average down a lot.

Also their minimum wage might be a bit deceptive, as basically there's minimum wages per given types of professions, and the 19.86 was the lowest possible. A friend of mine works in a lowend security job, just standing around, and the minimum wage for him is $32 an hour.

So you want to compare Indiana wages and burger prices with Australia wages and burger prices... but then when we are talking cost of living, now we suddenly have to compare Australia to California for it to be apples to apples? No. That's not how that works.

This entire discussion has gone completely off the rails of the thread topic. I'm out.

 

[churchmouse]

OK fellas chill. I am serious.

 

[BugI02]

Cool story, bro. Not sure what it has to do with the current job market, but ok.

BTW, what was the interest rate paid on savings accounts back then?

This, below, was your post I was responding to and quoted. It had more than a whiff of 'poor pitiful me' as well as 'the conditions I have to face are much worse than anyone else has had to face'

Yeah, because the economy and employment environment are exactly the same today as they were back in the day.

Was your walk to school uphill both ways?

Savings deposit rates would vary from bank to bank, but 1 year T-bill rate, which savings deposit rates would certainly be less than, was 6.98% at the start of '78 - 437 basis points below the rate of inflation

Not sure what to make of you, you have an unrealistic view of both how hard other people have had it as well as how difficult you think your life has been relative to that. Nobody who wasn't a trust fund baby has had it easy. You exhibit the same loose and shoddy thinking that the CRT adherents do, that we were privileged and had everything handed to us

 

[Tombs]

This, below, was your post I was responding to and quoted. It had more than a whiff of 'poor pitiful me' as well as 'the conditions I have to face are much worse than anyone else has had to face'



Was your walk to school uphill both ways?

Savings deposit rates would vary from bank to bank, but 1 year T-bill rate, which savings deposit rates would certainly be less than, was 6.98% at the start of '78 - 437 basis points below the rate of inflation

Not sure what to make of you, you have an unrealistic view of both how hard other people have had it as well as how difficult you think your life has been relative to that. Nobody who wasn't a trust fund baby has had it easy. You exhibit the same loose and shoddy thinking that the CRT adherents do, that we were privileged and had everything handed to us

The song of globalism has infected the minds of so many conservatives.

There is absolutely zero excuse for needing dual income to raise a fruitful family and have what you need. Feminism might have tried its hardest to ruin this, but globalism is the ultimate reason they want the family destroyed. And forcing people into dual income situations to stay afloat is exactly how they destroy the family.

From my grandparents back, the wife never left the house to work, it wasn't necessary. And it didn't take a college degree or half a lifetime of experience to land labor that permitted this.

There's some deep economic problems in the US that things are the way they are today, and people constantly arguing that they don't have it poorly enough only helps bolster the cries of the globalists.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

and have what you need.

This is the thing. Consumerism (and especially conspicuous consumerism) has driven the "need" for dual income families. It's not "needs" that are driving it. It's the "wants".