My advise to people under thirty.

Well, good for you! Others may have a different opinion about what they are willing to work for. Is that ok?

What? Nobody here (that I've seen anyway), INCLUDING THE OP is recommending that anyone work for peanuts if they have better short term options.

Some people don't have better options right now. Some people have no skills, some people have no experience, some geographical areas no very little industry. Some people might rather live in an area that they truly love that has lower wages and/or fewer job opportunities. Some people might need to make a couple hundred bucks a week in order to get through high school, college or trade school. Some people might be making $75k a year and want a 2nd job because their oldest child is about to start college. Maybe mom is now an empty nester and wants to work 20 hours per week to have extra travel money or supplement their upcoming retirement.

Some people are motivated by more than how much they are currently making. Sometimes flexibility in hours, work environment, or just being in a field that they enjoy is more important.

Perhaps you should stop projecting your personal ideals of what YOU think is right and proper and adequate unto other people. No?

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'Emergencies' have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded.

Friedrich August von Hayek

Your advice is good, and it is not mutually exclusive to the OP's. Improve yourself yes. And when you get a lousy job, do it as best you can, learn from it, and move on to something better. You might just get a leg up from the boss you impressed.

I'm generalizing but did you miss all the posts about how the fella from the "south" should be grateful to have any job... and making 8 dollars sure sounds great!

The ugliness of that post stands on its own. If you believe that complaints about others are wrong, how does being even worse fit with that standard?
There are many reasons for SS benefits to be low. Some work is not covered, self employment frequently has a lower amount reported due to deductions thanbwages, etc. A low SS benefit does not mean a lack of hard work as many farmers and ranchers can attest.

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For we used to ask when we were little, thinking that the old men knew all things which are on earth: yet forsooth they did not know; but we do not contradict them, for neither do we know.

When I go to work it's for money... Not lessons, self improvement, a sense of self worth. They give money, I give work. I expect No more no less than the agreed pay. If my work is poor I expect to be shown the door. If they train me or I learn additional skills on the job. They should have a contract with me to stay. Or I will likely leave for more money with the added training. I vigorously defend my self interest no differently than I'd expect an employer to do.

Many here seem to think a worker is or should be looking for education, training, or other valuable insight. I contend they are there for a pay check.

No one said anything about gratitude except those who seem to insist on that definition as a way of denigrating statements they don't like. It was simply said that lower wages are typical in the south. Gratitude did not enter into it.
Why is there so much confusion in the nature of an employer-employee relationship by those who seem to feel that they are owed more in wages than an employer offers that they use words like gratitude? This is a business arrangement, not a family unit. Can it be that there is a confusion in this?

Added- while I was posting this, you entered the post above. Yes, it is a money arrangement, although it can warm into more with congenial employees or a super responsible boss. But then how can you talk about gratitude?

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For we used to ask when we were little, thinking that the old men knew all things which are on earth: yet forsooth they did not know; but we do not contradict them, for neither do we know.

Is the confusion a wage based one as you suggest? A dollar figure?

Personally, I don't think that's it at all. Here are the two sets of advice as I see it.

OP advise (well those that advocate it)
Many have stated plainly that a fella should be grateful to have any work and do the best they can even if it's a low wage dead end job. Because there is hope of a better tomorrow (and it's better to stay off benefits and provide for themselves.) What the area in parentheses has to do with it I don't know!

(my advise)
I say working for a low wage doesn't amount to much money at all and is hardly worth the time or effort. Spend your time learning an industry that pays well. For instance if the boss isn't easily making 6 figures... you have no chance also. The less than 30 fella would be better off moving to an area or industry with better pay. Starting at the bottom in an industry that pays 100K on average vs an industry that pay 50K. The first is a no brainer.

I'll take your word for it that only the paycheck is what you work for. Others, more enlightened individual, see the bigger picture. Of course the paycheck is important and I'm not trying to minimize that. But you advocate improving yourself so that you can be worth more but don't understand that one of the best places you can improve yourself is on the job. I know for me, the places I did the most to increase my income, knowledge, and skills was on the job. The college degrees helped open doors, but I learned WAY more OTJ.

So you don't want to see an hourly wage as a simple contract for time? and your somehow enlightened? Hmm. I'd say reading more into a simple contract makes one simple.

I am rather amazed that theres been no comments on my posting, so ill post it again.

$8.00 = $1,920 month. I make $1,3550 a month on SS, and work for a guy I can hardly stand ME

My wife at present makes way less than $8 an hour, she is happy with it because she don't drive that far and is getting SS along with it but we don't have children at home and not many Bills.

On the other hand I made over $8 an hour back in the '70's. I found it sad that my wife was only making $14 an hour in the '90's. Really upset me when she was only making $8 an hour doing the same work.

Another thing I seen my Son working under the table doing construction work for $6 an hour. An Illegal Mexican came said he would work for $4 an hour, so my Son lost his Job

Just pointing out at one time I got what was considered a Living Wage, then start seeing Wages going down and cost of Living going up.

big rockpile

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I love being married.Its so great to find that one person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.



If I need a Shelter
If I need a Friend
I go to the Rock!

I think someone did respond.

Nope!! Typical 4 week month it would be 1280.00 before taxes!

I would like to ask a question.
When I started this OP I explained a particular situation. I am moving from on farm to another I have boxed up stuff and need to get it over here. I am busy so I thought I would hire someone for basically a day. It is a 30 minute drive between that I will have to pay for and that is only right. But my question is what do you think this job should be paid.
I quit hiring on the Sawmill because it is more profitable to me to work alone than hire someone that is not going to show up, do enough production to pay their wage after I deduct what they break and I don't have to listen to their problems.
When you work for me on the mill your wage is figured on how much you produce. If a person works fast accurate and stays with it they could make $25 an hour. The problem that I have with the younger set is that they have been conditioned to think they are entitled. The government can pay with money they do not have but your wage comes from your production just like mine. I am seeing a lot of people that can not get their head around this. If you are not making me more money than you are costing I am better to be without you.

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Follow me at [url]http://www.haneyfamilysawmill.com

40 hours in a week
52 weeks in a year

That's 2,080 hours a year.

2080 hours x $8/hr = $16,640/yr.

$16,640/yr divided by 12 = 1,386.66/mo.

That's before taxes come out.

Have I missed something?

You need to work on your math skills!!!

Don't pile on about arithmetic. I have great sympathy as I tend to suffer from number amnesia myself.

__________________
For we used to ask when we were little, thinking that the old men knew all things which are on earth: yet forsooth they did not know; but we do not contradict them, for neither do we know.