It seems like only yesterday that the $15 minimum wage was high on the agenda of every self-respecting progressive politician, including Hillary Clinton in her presidential campaign. The “Fight for 15” was successful in several states and even went statewide in New York and California.
So why aren’t we hearing more about the idea these days? It may be because labor markets are working, just like textbook economics say they should.
Target is now paying a starting wage of $15 nationwide and as much as $24 in some markets. Disney World pays a range of salaries for moderately skilled workers, but it is averaging $17.62 along with a $7,000 average bonus. Amazon is paying $18 for new hires and in some places as much as $24, with bonuses of up to $3,000.
What about fast-food workers? They’re making out like bandits in some places. The average pay nationwide is $17.20, reaching as high as $28.61 in hot markets, according to ZipRecruiter. They average more than $20 an hour in New York City and San Mateo, and more than $19 in Boston, Berkeley, Santa Monica and Juneau. And those are entry level wages!
For real eye-popping numbers, nothing quite tops the market for nurses. Before the pandemic, nurses earned an average of $73,300, or $1,400 per week. In the early stages of Covid, their pay rose by 25 percent. Then, a bidding war started as hospitals tried to fill shortages by luring prospects from other cities. The number of nurses who engage in temporary travel to take advantage of...
ANKARA — US President Donald Trump made a series of “false” and “uncorroborated” claims about the Iran conflict and his foreign policy record during a recent press conference, according to a fact ...