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Dramatic Shifts In Manufacturing Costs Are Driving Companies To US, Mexico
hackingbear writes: According to a new Cost-Competitiveness Index, the nations often perceived as having low manufacturing costs — such as China, Brazil, Russia, and the Czech Republic — are no longer much cheaper than the U.S. In some cases, they are estimated to be even more expensive. Chinese manufacturing wages have nearly quintupled since 2004, while Mexican wages have risen by less than 50 percent in U.S. dollar terms, contrary to our long-standing misconception that their labors were being slaved. In the same period, the U.S. wage is essentially flat, whereas Mexican wages have risen only 67%. Not all countries are taking full advantage of their low-cost advantages, however. The report found that global competiveness in manufacturing is undermined in nations such as India and Indonesia by several factors, including logistics, the overall ease of doing business, and inflexible labor markets.
US wages are not flat. They're declining. Adjusted for inflation and the cost of living increases, your effective purchasing power is 1/3rd of that of your grandparents.
Your parents and grandparents were able to buy a house, two cards, and send 2 children to college on a single income. You can't. You can't even with you and your spouse working full time with decent jobs. Your children will need loans to go to college and you will need to fork out a lot of money for childcare while you both work. You should probably pay for private tutoring too, to make up for your lack of time with your children you spend working. (Parental involvement in education is key to educational success. THE number one factor. It's why lower income people stuck working 60+ hours a week with 3-5 part time jobs have children with bad educational outlooks)
Point is, you're getting screwed. The income gap between the wealthy and poor has increased exponentially in the last 30 years. And it's no accident. There are people working hard to make sure you and your children grow up stupid, in to a life of perpetual debt and poverty.
Exaggerate much? Republicans don't want to get rid of the minimum wage.
You should try paying attention.
"I think it's outlived its usefulness," said Rep. Joe Barton of Texas. "It may have been of some value back in the Great Depression. I would vote to repeal the minimum wage."
http://www.nationaljournal.com/white-house/can-obama-unilaterally-raise-the-minimum-wage-20131205
I submitted my previous post to soon. You could dismiss one Congressman as not representative of the party.
So here is the official 2014 platform of the Republican Party of Texas.
Minimum Wage Repeal- We believe the Minimum Wage Law should be repealed.
Prevailing Wage Law- We urge Congress to repeal the Prevailing Wage Law and the Davis
Bacon Act.
Workers Compensation- We urge the Legislature to resist making workers’ compensation
mandatory for all Texas employers
http://www.texasgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/2014-Platform-Final.pdf
We had our own struggles during the era of the robber-barons.
Umm, wrong transition period, that was the Agricultural to Industrial changeover not the Industrial to Service one.