Baristas are making $20/hr now? Shit, I may have to go back to slinging lattes. I was making a little over minimum when I was working at coffee shops 20 years ago.
I'm curious if businesses actually get health insurance for the employees for $275 a month (difference / hour with 40 hour work weeks) and how the quality of the package they get compared to what the employees could get themselves for $275/month.
I'm not familiar with the various healthcare types in America though.
I don't think they were saying it was a lot, just that they're not familiar with anywhere where $20/hr is anywhere approaching minimum wage. Brought to you by the federal $7.25 minimum.
$20/hr is 40k/year assuming 40 hour weeks, 50 weeks/year. Average rent is 1750/month which is $21,000/year. The rule of thumb for affordable rent is 30% of gross income, at $20/hr the average apartment is actually going to cost you over 50% of your gross income. It's hard out there for a pimp.
California. But only quick-service employees. It's fuckin' weird that it wasn't a global minimum wage. We have two now, basically, depending on the job.
I live in a pretty LCOL area and I feel like 20 dollars an hour is the least you have to make to rent a studio apartment and live on your own. I make about that and barely afford rent on a townhouse with 2 other people. It feels like 20 dollars an hour, nowadays, is somewhat equivalent to 8 dollars an hour, twenty years ago. Its sad, but it doesn't feel like a good wage anymore.