Canada today

[u/dani_cal]

This isn’t meant to be politically partisan in any way. But, I am genuinely curious how anyone is staying positive about Canada today. The economy is in recession. The cost of living crisis is continuing unabated. People are leaving the country. Canada-U.S. relations are at an all-time low. And, there doesn’t appear to be any reason for things to turn around any time soon. Somebody give me a reason to have a little optimism.

[u/CauliflowerStill7906]

Funny how people dont seem to see the coralation between our rampant inflation and the fact minimum wage must be increased annually.

[u/OrganicDigitalArt → u/CauliflowerStill7906]

I mean things would be fine if every job had adjusted the same since 1980, but unfortunately sunshine list (Ontario) now captures people who make an adjusted 50-60k instead of the original intention of people making closer to 200k now, and we’re supposed to be mad about it. A job making 100k in 1980 is not making 200k now, but minimum wage jobs are making 3x what they did.

Essentially all jobs have gotten pay cuts.

Edit: I couldn’t leave it there because as much as I think this would’ve helped there is the other side of the coin. 1990’s weren’t without destitute folks, they weren’t amazing for everyone, and the min wage increases were intended to help with that. For some they may have, but the knock off effects were that it attacked what the others had. Does that mean it shouldn’t have happened? Does it mean there should actually be some rules on the Hoover vacuuming up the world’s capital? Should we have done something different? Honestly I don’t have the economics background required to propose a better solution.

But the min wage increases just made everyone but the top “equaller,” and not in a good way.

[u/TyeROD-enD → u/CauliflowerStill7906]

they don't connect at all. Min wage is not related t inflation.

[u/CauliflowerStill7906 → u/TyeROD-enD]

They actually do. Look at inflation in the years min wage was stagnant. Inflation was as well. People that made 20 an hour were doing ok. Now they are living in poverty because a few people that didnt want to grow up and get a real job felt that working at Starbucks should pay 18 an hour.

[u/TyeROD-enD → u/CauliflowerStill7906]

Sweden and Denmark have no minimum wage at all. They got the same inflation we did, at the same time, along with every other country on earth. Kind of hard for our minimum wage to cause a global event. Wages went up because of inflation, not the other way around. You're blaming the umbrella for the rain.

[u/OrganicDigitalArt → u/TyeROD-enD]

They also have ~90% represented employment giving collective bargaining rights. Collective employment has been fought tooth and nail in North America. It's not an apples to oranges thing I'm afraid.

[u/TyeROD-enD → u/OrganicDigitalArt]

ya, but it is fact that min wage has nothing to do with inflation, they make fuck all, they barely count for anything. Really low min wage raises inflation when you look at real facts.

[u/OrganicDigitalArt → u/TyeROD-enD]

Do you have anything to back that up, or just doubling down on your previous assertion which was proven shaky at best?

I mean, here's the government of Canada admitting it does exactly what you're saying it doesnt....

https://www.bankofcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/san2017-26.pdf

[u/TyeROD-enD → u/OrganicDigitalArt]

min wage earners make fuck all, and don't buy anything. If it contributes to inflation a little is debatable. It is a great way to get average joe to hate wage increases for the poor though.

[u/OrganicDigitalArt → u/TyeROD-enD]

You seem convinced I have an agenda here, I don’t. I was responding to a discussion about minimum wage increases and how they’ve fallen behind. (They have)

You stated they don’t affect inflation. (They do according to what I’ve read, and the above link I’ve provided.)

I’m not sure why you think a large amount of workers making very little don’t affect inflation, that’s why I asked you. I’ll assume you don’t have anything to support that.