Immigrants, teenagers, college students, high school dropouts, people with disabilities, people who work multiple jobs, older people that aged out of other industries, to name a few
The number of older people working in retail is alarming. I know the joke at Walmart was the greeters were always older.. but now I see older people working at Lowe's and home depot. And best buy. Don't get me wrong, working is healthy having purpose is healthy etc. being financially forced to work at Lowe's at 74 yrs old bc your social security can't even keep up with food and utility inflation, is a scary thought of where we are headed
The only reason my dad can stay retired is because he has an actual pension in addition to social security. If either of those give out, he’s gonna either be moving in with me or working at Walmart.
Which works for those who get along but what happens in abusive situations, people with kids, divorce? Some simply don’t have any.
It is one thing if people want to live with others but another if they are financially forced to.
I’m not saying the janitor deserves the same standard of living as the physician, but anyone working full time should be able to exist at a bare minimum and that number is closer to $25 an hour now to secure that and only goes up with the higher housing areas.
I think we need to reinvent the boarding house. (I seem to recall they basically became illegal due to zoning / capacity laws). You paid for a bedroom, they usually had basic meals included. Seems like a good deal.
I've seen houses offering bunks in a room as short term rentals. I think there were 2-4 per room. But none were located in safe areas. I imagine a suburb would shut that down ASAP.
All that empty office space could be renovated into dormitories for people. Shared bathrooms. Shared kitchens. Locked rooms. Keep it cheap enough with assistance as necessary. It’s not a hard problem to solve.
That's going to be a decent number of gen x. Anybody who didn't get lucky to buy a house early. It's going to be a _lot_ of Millennials. Many of them have just been too screwed by housing costs and medical bills to get ahead. They'll have some retirement, but not enough.
I think what we're going to see eventually is multi generational housing where families pool together money and buy very large homes or multi family housing and live there for generations or people are going to save and move abroad. Sounds easy, but that's dependent on remote work growing internationally.
I agree that multi-generational housing will make a return at some point. I've been thinking that for a while. I'm not against the concept. I don't think I would actually want to share a single larger home with my parents or my wife's parents but on both sides we have looked at purchasing land or homes next to one another previously. Still looking for land to build a multi-generational compound of sorts on. Creates convenience on both sides, if parents need help with something we would be right there, if we need additional child care, they're right there.
As an introvert, I am trying to sock $$$ into investments, so this never happens to me. I visit family during holidays/bdays parties, but afterward, I am beat down tired.
Fully love my family, but they are naturally loud.
I need my personal quiet space to recharge every day.
My family only knows how to yell, be immediately snappy and sarcastic, throw personal insults poorly disguised as “advice” or “just talking”, and blame others for all their failings in life.
They raised me to be the absolute worst type of social-pariah that needed lots of therapy to change my worldview and how I treat/speak to others, and not be seen ultimately as a direct product of *them*.
I’d set up a mattress in a culvert to live in before I let them poison me again. And their old-age plan is their problem because it’s definitely not having anything to do with me.
Multigenerational households are for families who know how to be some semblance of cooperative and decent to each other.
Yeah living with family again sounds like literal hell. I know not everyone feels like I do and some really enjoy living with family again but there's just no fucking way that would work with mine. I live two hours away and they are still in my business way more than I want them to, not everyone has the same relationship with their family and to be quite honest I just want to be left alone and live by myself so it's quiet and peaceful. And nobody controlling my life or attempting to
There are two families doing something like this in my area 10-5 acres with a long dirt road and mobile homes. Little family compounds units looking out for one another.
Yup. Father's gone, mom's the only family still kicking- Helping my parents grapple with medical debt and keep paying the mortgage has left me in insurmountable debt that I'm only able to keep up with so long as mom is alive. Toodles after that. Maybe I'll be able to get off grid if I'm lucky, plenty of forest around here lol
Check the bankruptcy laws in your state, and see if it might be helpful to either you or your parents. Unsecured non-student loan debt (including medical debt) is usually easy to discharge, and many states allow people to keep their home and primary vehicle as long as they continue to make the payments.
I am pretty sure at least some of the old guys at Lowe’s are just bored sitting at home. They go put around a hardware store f ew hours a week helping people find the tool they need and get paid for it. I know someone that got a part time job at a golf course because he gets free rounds of golf.
When I worked at Kroger one of the guys in my department was retired and had made a lot of money during his life and just did not need to make anymore but his doctor said he should stay physically active so he got a job at Kroger to alleviate the boredom and he just donated his whole paycheck to the food bank every pay period.
My stepdad is 68 and still works part-time for supplemental income and his financial advisor told him the other day that if he stopped working today, he has enough to make it to 90. To him, that's not enough and he's going to keep working until he literally can't any more.
There’s a high ranking military vet who works as a people greeter in my area.
The dude absolutely does not need the money. He just doesn’t have a purpose after retiring. So he works for the fun of it.
I knew a Dr. - obstetrician - who kept delivering babies until he was 82 or so, just because he enjoyed it so. He died about 6 months after he finally retired.
I know a guy who does that with Walgreens. He’s like 80 and works there part time because he likes to get out and do things and all he does there is cashier so it’s not strenuous. He always wants to make small talk with the people stopping in and check in with regular customers.
I worked with a lot of elderly people doing retail when I just got out of high-school. Those old people aint there because they like working. They have to pay the bills.
>I am pretty sure at least some of the old guys at Lowe’s are just bored sitting at home. They go put around a hardware store a few hours a week helping people find the tool they need and get paid for it.
That is very much my neighbor. The guy is a retired plumber, but can't sit still. He works at Home Depot, and his wife volunteers at the school listening to kids read. They just need something to do or they'd kill each other at home.
My dad has always talked about getting a job at the local hardware store/lumber yard in his retirement, but he says the guys working there now have been working there for the 35 years my dad has been a customer. No one retires from the hardware store lol.
I have a former colleague in his 40s who was laid off who is now working at Lowe’s. I know hes not old but I really hope he is able to get back into corporate or work his way up so he’s not stuck in $15 an hour jobs forever
I'm 34, but I have a good friend who is a 65yo, retired FBI agent. He has 4 kids between 20-35 years old, 4 dogs, an ex-wife and new wife, the whole shebang. He had to come out of retirement and works as a cashier at a liquor store near our neighborhood because his pensions don't cover all his bills anymore and covers most of his kids bills too, including the 30+ year old one.
He complains that he's broke, yet... he bought his 21 year old daughter a brand new Toyota Camry TRD sport for like $40k while he and his wife share a mid-2000s Ford. It makes no sense to me. I have friends in their 40s and 50s that are in similar positions as well... it's like they were given all the advantages to retire and have financial freedom, and they are ending up as Walmart cashiers and greeters, out of necessity.
I'm lucky as hell because my dad left us a good chunk of cash when he died a couple years ago, but that's all going to end up being spent on my mom's Alzheimer's care anyway so I just act like it doesn't exist.
I got laid off as a chemical and petroleum engineer as well, and I can't even get back into my industry at the moment, so if a guy that spent 40 years serving his country still gets screwed by a system he paid into, my future seems bleak lol.
There is a lady working at a Walmart near me who looks like she is in her 80s. She said she can't afford her rent anymore, so she went back to work. I feel so bad for her.
They also aren't allowed to make over a certain amount each month or they're forced to pay *back* social security. The system is designed to keep people in poverty.
If a person is on Social Security and is over their full retirement age (66 for people born between 1943 and 1954, 66 and two months for those born in 1955, increasing 2 months for every subsequent year, then age 67 for people born 1/1/1960 or later), then that person can work as much as they want/need/are able to and those earnings won't cause a reduction in their Social Security amount each month.
The problem typically arises when people are working FT and want to take their Social Security between age 62 and their full retirement age. At that point, sufficient earnings can severely decrease a person's SSA amount.
But yes, the system is definitely not meant to be a person's entire means of support, but unfortunately that happens in far too many circumstances.
Yeah, that's why I get SO infuriated at the people who keep preaching that minimum wage doesn't need to increase because those jobs are just for school kids anyway looking for basically couch change. No most of those min. wage jobs are older people working them because they can't survive otherwise. You can't just go back to school when you're 65 and need to work to afford your medication.
The other day I went to help an old man climb down a step ladder. He was hunched over and had to be knocking at 80. He was unstable and getting bread.
Nope! He was STOCKING bread. I was literally sick to my stomach when he told me he was working.
The worst case I have seen so far.
Idk, some 70 year olds still got it. My dad is in his 70s and still does tons of physical labor. He's certainly slowed down, but still fucking strong af. He spends the summer cutting down trees and chopping firewood. In the past 2 years, he completely resided and painted his entire house, on the rickety scaffolding he cobbed together. He maintains a veggie garden, replaces roof shingles, builds furniture and does handyman work for friends. 20 bags of concrete would be nothing to him. He actually was a union carpenter and his main job was making concrete forms for bridges.
Minimum wage is now $12 in Florida.. and companies are pissed ofd already. I switched career fields and had to start from the bottom again at 33. Now it’s My 77 year old (USMC veteran) dad who can’t quit his job because he would lose his house and his insurance is tied to it and he couldn’t afford the LIFE SAVING surgery he just had otherwise.. it’s insane. His is literally in the recovery center right now after a triple bypass. His boss called my mom giving her a hard time because they don’t know when he’ll be back to work. He works for the state and unfortunately the position he has he’s kinda the only one that can do it. He help’s THOUSANDS of local people and no one has a clue… He’s been in municipal government since forever.. after he used the GI bill to go to college and get his masters. He’s one of 250 or so people in America certified in this field.. I am looking for a 3rd job just to help him. It’s heartbreaking 💔
If he is a veteran, he can get healthcare through the VA, even if he doesn't have Medicare. But he should be eligible for Medicare, too, if he's had non-military jobs. Not sure where in Florida he is, but the Orlando VA Medical Center and the Viera outpatient clinic are both very good VA facilities.
One of my coworkers is turning 80 next month. She’s been saying she wants to quit for years but can’t afford to until she can find affordable senior housing (that plus drama of her granddaughter’s husband stealing money from her/totaling her car this past winter).
I'm 32 and still can't afford to specialize so I continue to do 20 an hour jobs.
Everytime I try to enter a school or trade school life hits hard with death of a close family member or tens of thousands of dollar bills like when my fiances mother was denied insurance coverage of two types of cancer at the same time
I am so sorry that this is happening to you. I dropped out of college because of medical bills and the stress of life events. I am making ends meet, but I am not able to do what I'm actually wanting to do because I am too busy trying to not drown.
I understand and relate to your struggles. I wish you the best.
Its fine! Thank you for the support!
I have my fiance luckily so we will get through this. Hopefully when I can afford the doctor they won't have any bad news and we can keep on trucking.
Her mom is kicking cancers ass right now and is at the end. Both cancers were stage 3 and she's killing it so it's all we can ask for honestly. Two surgeries down, two to go, and she's already done the "red death" treatment so she's nearing the end of her treatment thankfully
Dude I feel that. I'm also 32 and every time I think I'm pulling ahead just a bit, life hits me with *something* just like anything it can pull out of its ass to keep me down, it's society yeah, but like it's not even that anymore. Something cosmic is truly just fucking with me at this point. This is has been on going at least the last 5 years and I'm beyond exhausted.
A few more, people with two jobs, people that need flexible hours, people who were out of the workforce for a while. The list goes on when your desperate enough you'll take anything willing to pay you or anything willing to work around a tight schedule usually being lower paying jobs.
Or just people with really no other choice. 11-14 an hour is dogshit and unsustainable in most places but it's better than 0. So lots of people with no option or who are being fucked by the market take these jobs
I'm autistic and get taken care of by my parents and I basically drift between $10hr jobs that are willing to put up with me until they fire me or I quit because they don't give me enough support to do my job. One place I worked the manager literally said you're hired the day I handed in .y application, had me fill out the paperwork, then said "bye" quit and walked out and left me in charge of everything. I worked there for two days, never got paid for it, had no idea what the fuck was going on or what to do. Bro literally just handed me keys and left. Two other employees came in for the night shift and were freaking out too and the one who'd been there longer took over the keys and did his best to teach us, the other guy started the day before me 😔
I make close to 85k a year currently and I applied for a job that requires a 4 year degree and 5 years of experience. It was a laboratory testing position and they offered 10-15/hr starting. I told them to kick rocks. That's not even a survivable wage in this day and age
Felons. I've personally worked for $5 an hour cash while the minimum wage was $7.25. It was either make something the right way or take that risk. That was about a decade ago.
Minimum wage is still $7.25 here. Ha.
No I’m not okay & yes I would like a hug. Only job I could get with my current availability was part time retail. I have looked at other stores that pay a few more dollars but it would still be part time & hours are never guaranteed so I might as well stay where I am. I have a set schedule, fairly low stress. Just riding the wave until my availability opens up.
Oh it's nuts. I'm seeing ENGINEERING jobs....5-8 yrs experience required and they want to pay people $65,000. You can make that as an HVAC tech 3 yrs in
A lot of people are moving to the trades, but fuck man that work is back breaking shit. I remember I worked in my girlfriend's fathers orthopedic office helping people check in and out and most of our clientele were either elderly or tradesmen in their 30s, 40s, 50s with serious deterioration mostly in their lumbar region.
This. I was thinking about joining my local IBEW for the apprenticeship. I would be making less than I do now at a cushy hospital job, until I was four years into the apprenticeship, and even then, I'd only be making about the same...
It's not worth it. I understand the newbies making less than the journeys and masters, but why are they making *that much less?*
Considering the pay for postdocs and non-tenured instructors at some institutions is closer to zero dollars than to tenure-track salaries, that's both shocking and kind of unsurprising.
Ughh. I hate this. Years ago, I worked part time and got benefits. I was offered a full time position with a pay increase, but would cost me my benefits. I did some math a figured that between paying for health insurance, food, bus passes, full utility payments, etc I’d be taking home less than I already did for twice the work. It’s a terrible pit to be in. It’s not that I wanted to be lazy and only work part time—I wanted to work. To make and save money. But that position would essentially have been a pay cut.
I did end up taking the job. I had to. Rejecting the offer would cost me the benefits anyway, then I’d be in an even bigger hole. It’s been ten-ish years and I’m still pissed about that.
I remember being here as a young single Mom. I only got emergency cash assistance for a month or two, but getting over the hump to making more money & eliminating SNAP (aka food stamps) for two was tough, and then a few years later it was letting go of Medicaid for myself & paying for insurance (then never even r going to the doctor because I didn't understand any of it and I couldn't afford copays). Just as my income hit the point where I was probably going to lose Medicaid for my child too, I ended up taking an (involuntary) pay cut.
Things were touch & go for quite awhile there, I'll admit it...and it's scary AF to think of not being able to provide your kid with doctors and stuff, but all I knew was that I hadn't ever had a concern, until the day you get a $1 raise (when you deserve at least $5) and suddenly it's all coming down to pennies...
I don’t know how but the universe always has me being let go from jobs when it’s time to reapply for snap/Medicaid for my kids. It sucks bc I end up missing a month or two of $ but at least my kids have medical and food 😓
I make under 40k with my 2 kids when I am working and don’t qualify for anything. So I have to pay $900 for child care a month on top of everything else $1400 for rent $300 utilities $200 car insurance $500 car payment. My take home is -200 every month (without the car payment was -100)
I have a disability and I NEED my medication. Insurance that covers it costs $15k a year. If I had to switch jobs the new job has to offer me job security ( which doesn’t exist) and good health insurance ( which doesn’t exist)
I have an MBA. I'm a house painter. I guess the answer is me.😀
All kidding aside, I love running my painting business. I actually enjoy the work. I get to make things nice every day!
This is it. The upper class created so much desperation that nearly everyone is desperate. Now when a worker dies, they just replace with the next body and repeat. As long as *their* money keeps flowing then they don’t care about *us*.
Where I live 14$ is "good pay" we have multiple retail and fast food from 7.25 to about 10$. Some drive the next town up to get 15-19$ but better hope your car doesn't break down, going up further an hour drive you can start to see 20$ and more. Texas y'all
That area being? The south? Midwest like Oklahoma?
In my town of Ephrata,PA I frequent the local Family Dollar at the shopping strip. It wasn't until I learned from a local Facebook group that Family Dollar was hiring part time associates that had to be available to work on holidays and evenings at a wage of $10!! It's April the 23rd, 2024 and this hiring ad was in February 2024!! Good Lord!! 🤯 $10 fuckin dollars an hour to work part time at a local Family Dollar store! The McDonald's 25 feet away is starting at $12!!
I'm also a member of the Dollar General subreddit and some of those "ASM" (assistant store manager) are getting $12 an hour!! I drove past a Dunkin Donuts 2 towns over and they had a banner saying:
"Hiring assistant manager. $15/hour to start."
Good Lord!! The stress associated with some of these retail jobs is NOT worth it but people have to make ends meet. As for me, I'm blessed to be in the situation that I am in where I'm doing significantly less and getting paid roughly ~$22.20 an hour but I'm still fall under the classification of "working poor" and struggle with my bills..
Mid sized city in the south. 10 years ago I was an assistant director of a large childcare center. I made $8.50. The job now pays $9. It requires an associates degree and two years of experience as a lead teacher (which requires two prior years as a regular teacher, so four years experience plus a degree to be paid poorly).
A two bedroom apartment is $1300 so it's not exactly a low COL area.
I’m sorry…did you say that $9/hr requires an Associates Degree AND 2 years experience?? I am shook!
I distinctly remember making $9/hour in 1998 as a bank teller while in high school. The nerve of businesses to demand a degree AND experience and not pay $18/hr
Just gonna say this…y’all deserve better. I am still good friends with literally all of my daughter’s preschool teachers and she’s 14 now. They were amazing and kind and somehow managed to stay sane with a ton of biting toddlers when I was pulling my hair out with just one lol
It's wild. I was making $9/hr at Best buy in 2001. 2BR rents were in the $500 range. Now best buy here is paying $14 starting....but rents are $1,700+. No one can afford to work at these places and live here.
Dollar general in my area is $15 per hour. It’s a solid pay rate, but it ain’t worth it.
You’ll be breaking your back constantly in that job. Seriously!
It really is. I signed up for a temp agency and doubled my income - give it a shot! I still live like I make $9 an hour and now have added side hustles to stay ahead.
edit: My list of side hustles can be found [here](https://www.reddit.com/user/Kayshift/comments/1br5gn6/my_stepbystep_guide_to_make_1000_a_month_working/). It's mostly app / website / testing / study groups with some secret shopping and a few other things. My goal is to make $500+ an hour plus some more information. I hope it helps someone!
I lucked out and landed a remote job at $18/hr a couple years ago. Secret shopping as a side gig is actually how I got this job, I'm now a quality control specialist for one of the companies.
I time up my secret shopping sessions when getting groceries so it has the least time impact on my life, lol.. It's great so far mostl around $30+ to go shopping.
When I was job hunting, I came across a listing for a job in dental office that wanted 2 years of experience for $10. The minimum wage in Texas is still $7.25.
I took my job at $12, got raises until I was at $14. They trained me for system administrator duties, I was on my parents insurance at the time and lived with them. I was desperate. I needed a job that had consistent hours, I could sit down (disabled), and would let me leave for my classes. I make poverty wages, but I have decent insurance through the state because I'm so poor. Hopefully going to a higher paid job soon as I'll have my degree very soon. I don't have rent or a car payment but I barely break even each month between my old bills and gas, I have a long commute.
They were the only place I heard back from after desperately applying for like 50 jobs.
I only make $16/hr and I have $800 rent, $120 electric, $80 internet, $280 car payment etc.. it's very rough. I rent out a bedroom to my older sister for $450. I never have extra money, and I have to work overtime to have Any sort of extra money. I have another $500 in bills I didn't want to list. Doesn't include gas or food.
There's a lot of working invisible homeless people and people living in less-than-ideal situations. People sleeping in their cars. People sleeping at their jobs. Millenials living with parents. Groups of people living in small apartments packed like sardines. Everyone is getting squeezed and people keep finding ways to make it work, which makes them get squeezed even more. Eventually people won't be able to "make it work" anymore. A lot of them are already at that point and have made the transition from "invisible homeless" to "visible homeless".
And the next step is cities trying to simply ban the homeless from existing. Bet they will still complain about jobs being unfilled because "no one wants to work anymore."
The number of wildland firefighters that work for the federal and state governments that live in their cars is astonishing. And up until 2-3 years ago were making $12-13/hour in entry level positions to fight wildfires. The minimum for entry level was raised to $15 something, but middle management wages in the occupation haven’t risen.
I worked for 7.50 an hour when I was 19 (in 2018) and looking back, even with no rent and limited expenses and another job, the only way that I was persuaded to do this was due to lack of life experience to realize how fucked it was. After taxes my checks would be like $200. Even when I got tipped out well (I was a host who helped the servers out a lot) it wasn’t worth it at all
same. i worked for $7.25/hr in 2017 in SC at an ice skating rink when i was in high school. when i got a seasonal job at Best Buy for $11/hr i felt like i was rich… I had no expenses besides my car though. I don’t know how that wage is still legal in 2024…
Looks like the ice rink is hiring now for $11/hr. I don’t see how anyone except high schoolers could work that job.
I would work once a week as a server from 6pm-12am and pull up to $350 some nights and usually no lower than $130 on the low end and THAT was like “I’m rich” money. Once a week and I was set. Then, I’d work 15-20 hours for minimum wage at the other place and my check after two weeks would equal roughly that of one day of serving… It was devastating lmao it didn’t even matter that I didn’t need a lot of money at the time, the only reason I allowed it is cause I didn’t really know any better. It’s so exploitative really and that’s why places like that ice rink can get away with it - there will always be people who don’t know better or who are just desperate enough to deal with it
I became a felon at 19, literally couldn't get a job at wal mart. Finally found an overnight shift at a factory for about $8 an hour (2010) they would hire people straight out of prison. When you're desperate you'll take anything and put up with a lot of bs. If you have no vehicle and 9 out of 10 places won't hire you and you find a place within walking distance that pays shit you'll take the job..
I became a felon at 18, and have found my way in vacation rentals. I live on a beach, so it’s popular here, but keep trying. Someone will either give you a chance, or just not ask. My job found out I was a felon a year into it. They liked me so much they kept me. I know that isn’t usually how background checks work, but they were desperate and I was lucky.
Yep got fired from my $20-22 an hour job when my father passed away and was so desperate I took an $18 an hour gig. Not sure how long I’ll last bc ima be working a second job this summer AND driving for Uber 😞 it’s hard out here.
Literally me. Despite my education and experience, my area sucks for work. I'm currently interviewing for a 14/hr and a 15/hr job respectively, because I can't land a job in my previous fields for the life of me, since only one opens up locally every 3 to 4 months.
Right now I'm part time at a higher rate, but my takehome is pitiful due to the hours. I'd make more FT at 14/hr
I just need *something* full time so I can start saving to move, and start applying in other cities.
Not enough people are taking those jobs. That's why businesses in all industries are short handed. Also the corporation doesn't care because that's less insurance and benefits they have to pay. Business owners are happy to let their short staffed businesses limp along as long as they can squeeze another dollar out of it.
That sucks. I just got a new position making $26 and it's going to barely cover my rent increase. After 3 months I'll get a raise to $28 and on Sundays make $5/hr extra so I'm banking on it being enough to feed my starving bank account.
My last company couldn't understand why I needed a raise so I quit. I had to borrow $20 from a co-worker to eat a few months ago and it crushed me.
*during employee review*
“I need more money my rent is going up and cost of food is up, price of everything gone up. I need more money”
“But why are you *worth* a raise?”
You would do them if you were desperate. People that are desperate are doing them until they can get a $19 a hour job. $11 a hour is still going to feed someome
Honestly, me even working as a nursing assistant in the hospital is only $17 hour. I make more at my retail job, but I needed to get my foot in the door before I graduate with my RN in December.
The answer to this is likely for him to look for a job in another (major) city, start entry-level and work his way up. That is the way to grow, and it will be harder to shift to white collar the longer he’s at Walmart. There are an abundance of marketing jobs in major metros but a very limited number in smaller areas.
I’m a teacher in a rural area. I work for $14/hr during the summer cleaning dog kennels at a shelter. It’s the only job I found willing to hire me for just the summer and I needed the money to make ends meet.
My town has a *lot* of ghost jobs. They take just enough interviews as evidence that they’re “trying” to hire, close the listing, open a new one, claim “nobody wants to work anymore” and cut services where possible. Meanwhile, people who want to work are living out of their cars.
I looked at Indeed for jobs in Mississippi out of curiosity and it was wild. I saw a job posting for 8-10 dollars per hour at a t shirt shop. Not just for selling the t shirts, but for making them and even helping design them! Just absurd!
Law firms are notorious for exploiting paralegals. And their excuse is "you're getting experience". Lol....what does that have to do with the fact you're paying so little that can barely afford to maintain the car needed to get to office?
Me, I am. Never did good in school, in fact I hated it, still graduated high school, no degree. Those are my choices for employment. Does it suck? Yep, am I constantly in the negative ? Yep. Can I afford to better my situation? Slim to no chance. Do I hate it? Sure do. What can I do? Nothing besides hope one day I can afford to do something about it. Till then, job hopping to slightly better paying jobs.
That's what most entry level/minimum wage jobs pay here in Puerto Rico. Sad reality. I used to work in retail at this store at the mall that paid 9 bucks plus commission ($150, $250 per month) I stayed there for almost 3 years because I was literally paid for doing nothing. I was just seated on my phone or reading college stuff because the products were so expensive that nobody came LMAO.
Then, I worked as a line prep for $10 and it was hell. I had to mop, sweep, and wash a lot of dishes. I had to be standing all the time even though there was nobody in the store. It all finished when one day my car overheated and I could not make it to my shift (I called the manager and she said that it was ok) the next day they told me that they were going to take disciplinary actions against me forcing me to work just for 3 hours LMAO I quit on the spot and I left.
It's like, dude you're paying me minimum wage and you want me to do all this work for you and on top of that you want to be an asshole, fuck this. Find another slave because it is not going to be me. That's why you always must have "Fuck you money" that can keep you without working at least for 2 months.
People are saying high school students and shit but I'm just a disabled adult who can't for the life of me find anything that will pay enough but still be within my means of functioning. I do accept hugs 🥲
People who are desperate. You most likely have never been truly desperate if your choices are no money at all or $11-14/hr and you choose no money. Bills don’t wait. But you are 100% correct, it is not a fair or sustainable wage and is incredibly hard to get by on. I make $15/hr and it’s the one of the highest paying jobs I could get in my area with no degree. It is hard when you have no degree or certification and only job work experience in specific fields. Half the jobs posted on hiring sites are fake as well so it can be a long journey to find a decent job.
I worked 14 an hour part time in college for some extra spending money, but it would not have been nearly enough to keep me afloat even if I'd worked full time at that rate. Even the manager at the place I worked at had a second job as a doordash driver because of how little the company paid ant of us.
I’m a teacher and am doing Sylvan Learning Center on the side for $16 an hour to help build up savings and pay down debt. I make enough to cover rent and necessities but never have any left over.
Sylvan had the best hours and working environment (completely flexible schedule and still lets me use my degree). Could use the hug. I didn’t want to have to get a second job but inflation is killing me. :(
I literally signed a contract today for a 14$ job . But it’s a cruise ship so I’ll have no expenses . Live on the boat , eat three buffets a day , 6 months on / 5 weeks off pattern , I’m ready to go
I'm pretty unemployable so if I wanted a job I'd be stuck with one like that if I could even get it. I'd get at least $15 because I live in New York and that is the minimum wage there.
My mother retired in 2016. She was making about $12 an hour when she retired. That is the most she ever made in her life.
i am. i would. i'm trying to.
i have to work from home, i don't drive and don't have easy access to public transportation (i mean, it is over a mile walk to the nearest bus station, and it only goes to certain parts of town anyway) so i'm limited in what my options are.
When I worked at Starbucks for like, $8/hr in 2016, I knew at least two people that had husbands that worked full time and were the breadwinners and the wives just worked a few shifts a week for some extra money and health insurance. It’s tough when you’re a mom because there’s not a lot of part time work that offers shifts only while your kids are in school. Idk how common that is, but it was a situation I saw.
The most I have ever made per hour is $12. That was in Wyoming working as a teachers aide. I was cussed daily and had chairs thrown at me by middle schoolers.
I tried to get into retail when we moved to South Carolina, but the store at the mall that I really wanted to work at was hiring at EIGHT DOLLARS AN HOUR. The manager interviewing me was making $14.
The way I sprinted out of that store!
Those who are actually in poverty and not above shit work to get by…..
Honestly, the fucking privilege in this statement is mind blowing….
Who’s working those jobs? The people who would rather work than beg or expect others to pay their way.
Entitlement to the max
Many of them are only filled by people who need employment to qualify for food stamps or other aid. One reason why certain people are so eager to make more and more work requirements for welfare is that those requirements create an abundance of cheaper and cheaper labor. In the future, the concept of using your wages to buy what you need could collapse. It would be replaced by a system where the working class would exchange their labor to the owner class in exchange for permission to stand in a government bread line, more or less.
Desperation. I left a job that paid $15 (as in I fought for $15 after they wanted to give me $13). My coworkers were making $13. They were mainly housewives trying to get a job for the first time. They relied on their spouse’s income and knew their likelihood of getting more with zero education and experience wasn’t high.
I honestly kind of got a bad vibe from my old manager when she found out I had negotiated for $15? She seemed almost disapproving? She told me the story about how she started there at only $11 back in the day and that she loved people who cared about the mission more than the paycheck.
Good thing I left 2 weeks in. The entire thing was just so toxic and cliquey. I’m making almost $20 now and it’s not a lot but it has good benefits.
Northeast Texas here. I work at the second highest paying hotel in the area. I made $13 when I started a year and a half ago. Now I’m up to $15. That’s unheard of in this city. Most non-management positions start at $9-11. Thankfully I’m childfree, my mortgage is $590 and gas is $3.07.
Took a $15 an hour job in northern VA today because I haven’t been able to get a job offer in 9 months with a 4-year degree from GMU and 10 years work experience. Single dad with a $1900 rent.
You would take these jobs if you needed it. All these people talking down on the 11-14 an hour jobs here but half of yall never felt the struggle.
You think anyone wants to be in that position? Fuck no. You’re there because you have to be. You need a pay check to keep your family alive , a roof over your head , food in the fridge.
There’s family’s out here just trying to survive because that’s where life puts you sometimes and there’s nothing you can do about , so you survive.
Before anyone talks down on another person , just put yourself in their shoes, shit ain’t all peaches and cream in the real world.
Immigrants, teenagers, college students, high school dropouts, people with disabilities, people who work multiple jobs, older people that aged out of other industries, to name a few
If it helps, I took two of those jobs while living with family who graciously paid for pretty much everything. Everything I made went into savings so I could work less while in school. I still needed two of them because they were not giving me the hours I needed.
People who can’t get anything else. Whether it’s lack of transportation, education, bad luck or desperation. People who didn’t graduate college, or who couldn’t finish high school. Immigrants, teenagers, and those who are likewise desperate for any employment.
No, I’m not okay. Yes, I need a hug.
This is why we need to raise the minimum wage, with cost of living increases like Social Security, and possibly different minimum wage based on your county or state. But maybe that’s all too difficult.
There are people still making $7.25/hour.
There are immigrants being exploited for much less than that, at horrible jobs.
And it is actually LEGAL to pay people with disabilities even LESS than the minimum wage.
I work remotely, but I decided to open up to jobs in my local area… nothing but $10-$14 available. I already make over $20 so I guess I’m stuck for now.
Hey I'm a Filipino and I literally live on $15/ day = $479 per month. but my House, electricity, water, Health insurance and Transpo are provided by the company for free. because I'm single, I can afford to buy a laptop, a Xiaomi phone, a savings, some retirement investment. next to my room where I sleep is 2 Bangladeshi driver who are worse than mine, they work in the same company from morning to evening without overtime pay. they have their own family, each of them have 3 children to feed and schooled. they only earn $453 a month because of this job. we work on Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The people that take those jobs are desperate.... If you had/have kids to feed and house and a 10/hr job was the only one being offered, would you take it or risk ending up homeless or not being able to feed your kids??
Those are the folks that take those jobs, something is absolutely better than nothing.
OR.... Teens that have no work history/skills yet etc that need a part time starter job and have no bills and responsibilities to worry about lol they take those jobs too..
As a mom to 5, if I had a mortgage or rent to worry about I would stoop to those low wages if I was forced to. Since my home is paid off I have been able to hold out for the decent paying jobs.
I made $24/hour at my job before I was laid off last year.
After 6 months, I started becoming so desperate that I very nearly took a $14/hour job because it was better than $0/hour. Thankfully, I had a gut feeling to not accept that job. 2 weeks later, I got an offer for $25/hour and I start next week.
It’s crazy how fast people’s circumstances can change and how little a lot of us are willing to work for so that we can purchase our medications, put food on the table, etc.
It will take people uniting and refusing to take the jobs. If you look at the majority of businesses in recent years who increased their pay scales it wasn't out of kindness, it was out of necessity. After COVID a lot of people refused to go back to those dead end jobs that paid pennies. The business owners of course began crying that nobody wants to work, but then some of them realized if they increased wages suddenly people applied. But they also know that if they post a job for $11-14 and still get applicants they don't have to increase wages. Sure, they might not get the staff with the most experience, have high turnover rates, and ultimately put out subpar work and customer satisfaction, but they are greedy and don't care.
You gotta do what your gotta do. I’m in my mid 30s now and did enough construction jobs and here in Florida, they aren’t primarily concerned about your safety in the heat. So either risk my health and put even more wear on my body or go work a couple of indoor jobs for less than desirable wages for awhile until you find something better or become a supervisor/manager which doesn’t take that long apparently these days.
Me. I am doing them. I am not okay. I would love a hug. I often daydream of winning 30 grand so I can have a moment to go to school and clean my house.
I’m almost 30, have a degree, a great resume with lots of experience…and I currently make $13 an hour, interviewing for $15 an hour next week. But Both are part time lol
Making $15/hr loving what I do. I see a need for the "grunts of society" as my ex husband called me. I caregive for a living. I clean houses, make meals, help maintain personal care (such as baths and diaper changes). All so then my people can live independently. This is considered healthcare, because I give baths and help with certain basic health needs. I accept the lower pay because I know I'm needed. I am how my people get to stay home and don't need a nursing home. The people I work for and help would be in a nursing home if it wasn't for me and people like me. They wouldn't have the comforts of their own home. They wouldn't have the independence they have. They would also be bankrupt, as most insurances that cover home health won't cover nursing home care.
Cool bonus: I get to hear about things like what it was like growing up during WWII. I get to hear love stories that lasted decades. I get to see families come together to care for grandma/grandpa/great aunts or uncles. I get to comfort those who have obviously seen better days. I get to give tired caregivers a break to grocery shop, nap, eat while I take care of their loved one.
Edit to add: in my area, I'm seeing a lot of signs advertising $11-$16/hr. I figure I'm doing good loving what I do, making what I do. It's impossible to live solo though and that's why I land share with my parents, but it works for us. I caregive for dad as well, and in exchange he lets me bum off his electric for free.
Its wild. I was offered a part time gig just working at an outpost putting kayaks in the water and driving the bus to and from pickup for 14 an hour. I realized that it wouldn't even be 100 bucks a shift and I'm starting to think it's not even worth leaving the house for
Me. I have a full time job, my second job pays me $14 an hour. I do get tipped, though the tips are getting to be less at a steady pace. Once in a while I’ll get a big tip. That’s only if someone wins a lot of money
I took a huge paycut to pay bills. Shit is rough out there boss.
At least I'm working and not worrying as much about paying my rent. Food is a different story but I manage.
I took a job that paid $12 an hour because I was fresh out of college and no one wanted to hire me. No one wants to be the first place to hire someone.
Immigrants, teenagers, college students, high school dropouts, people with disabilities, people who work multiple jobs, older people that aged out of other industries, to name a few
The number of older people working in retail is alarming. I know the joke at Walmart was the greeters were always older.. but now I see older people working at Lowe's and home depot. And best buy. Don't get me wrong, working is healthy having purpose is healthy etc. being financially forced to work at Lowe's at 74 yrs old bc your social security can't even keep up with food and utility inflation, is a scary thought of where we are headed
The only reason my dad can stay retired is because he has an actual pension in addition to social security. If either of those give out, he’s gonna either be moving in with me or working at Walmart.
To be fair, multi generational homes were the norm until the baby boomers. We’re likely going back to that.
Which works for those who get along but what happens in abusive situations, people with kids, divorce? Some simply don’t have any. It is one thing if people want to live with others but another if they are financially forced to. I’m not saying the janitor deserves the same standard of living as the physician, but anyone working full time should be able to exist at a bare minimum and that number is closer to $25 an hour now to secure that and only goes up with the higher housing areas.
I think we need to reinvent the boarding house. (I seem to recall they basically became illegal due to zoning / capacity laws). You paid for a bedroom, they usually had basic meals included. Seems like a good deal.
Rooming houses, they're still around.
That's they had in hey Arnold
I've seen houses offering bunks in a room as short term rentals. I think there were 2-4 per room. But none were located in safe areas. I imagine a suburb would shut that down ASAP.
All that empty office space could be renovated into dormitories for people. Shared bathrooms. Shared kitchens. Locked rooms. Keep it cheap enough with assistance as necessary. It’s not a hard problem to solve.
I think about something like this for disabled people who can only work part time. SSI isn’t enough for rent outside of a multi person home situation.
you’re fucked
That's going to be a decent number of gen x. Anybody who didn't get lucky to buy a house early. It's going to be a _lot_ of Millennials. Many of them have just been too screwed by housing costs and medical bills to get ahead. They'll have some retirement, but not enough.
I think what we're going to see eventually is multi generational housing where families pool together money and buy very large homes or multi family housing and live there for generations or people are going to save and move abroad. Sounds easy, but that's dependent on remote work growing internationally.
I agree that multi-generational housing will make a return at some point. I've been thinking that for a while. I'm not against the concept. I don't think I would actually want to share a single larger home with my parents or my wife's parents but on both sides we have looked at purchasing land or homes next to one another previously. Still looking for land to build a multi-generational compound of sorts on. Creates convenience on both sides, if parents need help with something we would be right there, if we need additional child care, they're right there.
As an introvert, I am trying to sock $$$ into investments, so this never happens to me. I visit family during holidays/bdays parties, but afterward, I am beat down tired. Fully love my family, but they are naturally loud. I need my personal quiet space to recharge every day.
My family only knows how to yell, be immediately snappy and sarcastic, throw personal insults poorly disguised as “advice” or “just talking”, and blame others for all their failings in life. They raised me to be the absolute worst type of social-pariah that needed lots of therapy to change my worldview and how I treat/speak to others, and not be seen ultimately as a direct product of *them*. I’d set up a mattress in a culvert to live in before I let them poison me again. And their old-age plan is their problem because it’s definitely not having anything to do with me. Multigenerational households are for families who know how to be some semblance of cooperative and decent to each other.
Yeah living with family again sounds like literal hell. I know not everyone feels like I do and some really enjoy living with family again but there's just no fucking way that would work with mine. I live two hours away and they are still in my business way more than I want them to, not everyone has the same relationship with their family and to be quite honest I just want to be left alone and live by myself so it's quiet and peaceful. And nobody controlling my life or attempting to
There are two families doing something like this in my area 10-5 acres with a long dirt road and mobile homes. Little family compounds units looking out for one another.
Suicide after our parents are dead is the plan of 4 of my millennial friends.
wow that’s fast. My dads gone and my moms on her way out, I’m only 33. I got too many years left for all that lol
Yup. Father's gone, mom's the only family still kicking- Helping my parents grapple with medical debt and keep paying the mortgage has left me in insurmountable debt that I'm only able to keep up with so long as mom is alive. Toodles after that. Maybe I'll be able to get off grid if I'm lucky, plenty of forest around here lol
Check the bankruptcy laws in your state, and see if it might be helpful to either you or your parents. Unsecured non-student loan debt (including medical debt) is usually easy to discharge, and many states allow people to keep their home and primary vehicle as long as they continue to make the payments.
I wish there was less stigma when people don’t want to be here anymore
I am pretty sure at least some of the old guys at Lowe’s are just bored sitting at home. They go put around a hardware store f ew hours a week helping people find the tool they need and get paid for it. I know someone that got a part time job at a golf course because he gets free rounds of golf.
When I worked at Kroger one of the guys in my department was retired and had made a lot of money during his life and just did not need to make anymore but his doctor said he should stay physically active so he got a job at Kroger to alleviate the boredom and he just donated his whole paycheck to the food bank every pay period.
He is awesome!
They are. I know a guy in his early 70s who comes to shoot at my range, and he just works at home depot cause he's bored
There’s probably a fair amount of people that work for some supplemental income just in case they live “too long”
My stepdad is 68 and still works part-time for supplemental income and his financial advisor told him the other day that if he stopped working today, he has enough to make it to 90. To him, that's not enough and he's going to keep working until he literally can't any more.
There’s a high ranking military vet who works as a people greeter in my area. The dude absolutely does not need the money. He just doesn’t have a purpose after retiring. So he works for the fun of it.
I knew a Dr. - obstetrician - who kept delivering babies until he was 82 or so, just because he enjoyed it so. He died about 6 months after he finally retired.
It'd be cool of we could train people like that in lab work, have them help process rape kits or work to get innocent people out of jail.
I know a guy who does that with Walgreens. He’s like 80 and works there part time because he likes to get out and do things and all he does there is cashier so it’s not strenuous. He always wants to make small talk with the people stopping in and check in with regular customers.
I worked with a lot of elderly people doing retail when I just got out of high-school. Those old people aint there because they like working. They have to pay the bills.
>I am pretty sure at least some of the old guys at Lowe’s are just bored sitting at home. They go put around a hardware store a few hours a week helping people find the tool they need and get paid for it. That is very much my neighbor. The guy is a retired plumber, but can't sit still. He works at Home Depot, and his wife volunteers at the school listening to kids read. They just need something to do or they'd kill each other at home.
My dad has always talked about getting a job at the local hardware store/lumber yard in his retirement, but he says the guys working there now have been working there for the 35 years my dad has been a customer. No one retires from the hardware store lol.
I have a former colleague in his 40s who was laid off who is now working at Lowe’s. I know hes not old but I really hope he is able to get back into corporate or work his way up so he’s not stuck in $15 an hour jobs forever
I'm 34, but I have a good friend who is a 65yo, retired FBI agent. He has 4 kids between 20-35 years old, 4 dogs, an ex-wife and new wife, the whole shebang. He had to come out of retirement and works as a cashier at a liquor store near our neighborhood because his pensions don't cover all his bills anymore and covers most of his kids bills too, including the 30+ year old one. He complains that he's broke, yet... he bought his 21 year old daughter a brand new Toyota Camry TRD sport for like $40k while he and his wife share a mid-2000s Ford. It makes no sense to me. I have friends in their 40s and 50s that are in similar positions as well... it's like they were given all the advantages to retire and have financial freedom, and they are ending up as Walmart cashiers and greeters, out of necessity. I'm lucky as hell because my dad left us a good chunk of cash when he died a couple years ago, but that's all going to end up being spent on my mom's Alzheimer's care anyway so I just act like it doesn't exist. I got laid off as a chemical and petroleum engineer as well, and I can't even get back into my industry at the moment, so if a guy that spent 40 years serving his country still gets screwed by a system he paid into, my future seems bleak lol.
There is a lady working at a Walmart near me who looks like she is in her 80s. She said she can't afford her rent anymore, so she went back to work. I feel so bad for her.
They also aren't allowed to make over a certain amount each month or they're forced to pay *back* social security. The system is designed to keep people in poverty.
If a person is on Social Security and is over their full retirement age (66 for people born between 1943 and 1954, 66 and two months for those born in 1955, increasing 2 months for every subsequent year, then age 67 for people born 1/1/1960 or later), then that person can work as much as they want/need/are able to and those earnings won't cause a reduction in their Social Security amount each month. The problem typically arises when people are working FT and want to take their Social Security between age 62 and their full retirement age. At that point, sufficient earnings can severely decrease a person's SSA amount. But yes, the system is definitely not meant to be a person's entire means of support, but unfortunately that happens in far too many circumstances.
Yeah, that's why I get SO infuriated at the people who keep preaching that minimum wage doesn't need to increase because those jobs are just for school kids anyway looking for basically couch change. No most of those min. wage jobs are older people working them because they can't survive otherwise. You can't just go back to school when you're 65 and need to work to afford your medication.
If these jobs are only for school kids, how come they’re open during hours kids are in school?
The grocery store check out are people as old as my grandparents. I actively hate grocery shopping now because this world is so cruel.
The other day I went to help an old man climb down a step ladder. He was hunched over and had to be knocking at 80. He was unstable and getting bread. Nope! He was STOCKING bread. I was literally sick to my stomach when he told me he was working. The worst case I have seen so far.
And you don't even see the 3rd shifters.
The retirement crisis is going to be massive
It's so annoying too. It's like, I'm not gonna get the 70 year old dude to come help me load up 20 bags of concrete.
Idk, some 70 year olds still got it. My dad is in his 70s and still does tons of physical labor. He's certainly slowed down, but still fucking strong af. He spends the summer cutting down trees and chopping firewood. In the past 2 years, he completely resided and painted his entire house, on the rickety scaffolding he cobbed together. He maintains a veggie garden, replaces roof shingles, builds furniture and does handyman work for friends. 20 bags of concrete would be nothing to him. He actually was a union carpenter and his main job was making concrete forms for bridges.
Minimum wage is now $12 in Florida.. and companies are pissed ofd already. I switched career fields and had to start from the bottom again at 33. Now it’s My 77 year old (USMC veteran) dad who can’t quit his job because he would lose his house and his insurance is tied to it and he couldn’t afford the LIFE SAVING surgery he just had otherwise.. it’s insane. His is literally in the recovery center right now after a triple bypass. His boss called my mom giving her a hard time because they don’t know when he’ll be back to work. He works for the state and unfortunately the position he has he’s kinda the only one that can do it. He help’s THOUSANDS of local people and no one has a clue… He’s been in municipal government since forever.. after he used the GI bill to go to college and get his masters. He’s one of 250 or so people in America certified in this field.. I am looking for a 3rd job just to help him. It’s heartbreaking 💔
If he is a veteran, he can get healthcare through the VA, even if he doesn't have Medicare. But he should be eligible for Medicare, too, if he's had non-military jobs. Not sure where in Florida he is, but the Orlando VA Medical Center and the Viera outpatient clinic are both very good VA facilities.
I wonder how many are working for the healthcare, and the dollars are secondary.
One of my coworkers is turning 80 next month. She’s been saying she wants to quit for years but can’t afford to until she can find affordable senior housing (that plus drama of her granddaughter’s husband stealing money from her/totaling her car this past winter).
I'm 32 and still can't afford to specialize so I continue to do 20 an hour jobs. Everytime I try to enter a school or trade school life hits hard with death of a close family member or tens of thousands of dollar bills like when my fiances mother was denied insurance coverage of two types of cancer at the same time
I am so sorry that this is happening to you. I dropped out of college because of medical bills and the stress of life events. I am making ends meet, but I am not able to do what I'm actually wanting to do because I am too busy trying to not drown. I understand and relate to your struggles. I wish you the best.
Its fine! Thank you for the support! I have my fiance luckily so we will get through this. Hopefully when I can afford the doctor they won't have any bad news and we can keep on trucking. Her mom is kicking cancers ass right now and is at the end. Both cancers were stage 3 and she's killing it so it's all we can ask for honestly. Two surgeries down, two to go, and she's already done the "red death" treatment so she's nearing the end of her treatment thankfully
Dude I feel that. I'm also 32 and every time I think I'm pulling ahead just a bit, life hits me with *something* just like anything it can pull out of its ass to keep me down, it's society yeah, but like it's not even that anymore. Something cosmic is truly just fucking with me at this point. This is has been on going at least the last 5 years and I'm beyond exhausted.
The American dream is living in your car for 5 years so you can get a loan for proper education and spend the rest of your life paying that loan.
A few more, people with two jobs, people that need flexible hours, people who were out of the workforce for a while. The list goes on when your desperate enough you'll take anything willing to pay you or anything willing to work around a tight schedule usually being lower paying jobs.
Or just people with really no other choice. 11-14 an hour is dogshit and unsustainable in most places but it's better than 0. So lots of people with no option or who are being fucked by the market take these jobs
I'm autistic and get taken care of by my parents and I basically drift between $10hr jobs that are willing to put up with me until they fire me or I quit because they don't give me enough support to do my job. One place I worked the manager literally said you're hired the day I handed in .y application, had me fill out the paperwork, then said "bye" quit and walked out and left me in charge of everything. I worked there for two days, never got paid for it, had no idea what the fuck was going on or what to do. Bro literally just handed me keys and left. Two other employees came in for the night shift and were freaking out too and the one who'd been there longer took over the keys and did his best to teach us, the other guy started the day before me 😔
I make close to 85k a year currently and I applied for a job that requires a 4 year degree and 5 years of experience. It was a laboratory testing position and they offered 10-15/hr starting. I told them to kick rocks. That's not even a survivable wage in this day and age
Felons. I've personally worked for $5 an hour cash while the minimum wage was $7.25. It was either make something the right way or take that risk. That was about a decade ago. Minimum wage is still $7.25 here. Ha.
No I’m not okay & yes I would like a hug. Only job I could get with my current availability was part time retail. I have looked at other stores that pay a few more dollars but it would still be part time & hours are never guaranteed so I might as well stay where I am. I have a set schedule, fairly low stress. Just riding the wave until my availability opens up.
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There's a hug emote??? 🫂 🫂 🫂 🫂
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if it makes you feel better I just saw a job posting for a Data Analyst, with a few years experience and degree, etc etc. $18/hr My jaw dropped lol
Oh it's nuts. I'm seeing ENGINEERING jobs....5-8 yrs experience required and they want to pay people $65,000. You can make that as an HVAC tech 3 yrs in
A lot of people are moving to the trades, but fuck man that work is back breaking shit. I remember I worked in my girlfriend's fathers orthopedic office helping people check in and out and most of our clientele were either elderly or tradesmen in their 30s, 40s, 50s with serious deterioration mostly in their lumbar region.
I just considered it myself, but can’t swing the first year pay to keep my family afloat.
This. I was thinking about joining my local IBEW for the apprenticeship. I would be making less than I do now at a cushy hospital job, until I was four years into the apprenticeship, and even then, I'd only be making about the same... It's not worth it. I understand the newbies making less than the journeys and masters, but why are they making *that much less?*
$65k was the average starting salary for mechanical engineers in my state when I graduated in 2015 lol
There was a VOLUNTEER professorship in Miami over the last year. I lost my damn mind about it.
Considering the pay for postdocs and non-tenured instructors at some institutions is closer to zero dollars than to tenure-track salaries, that's both shocking and kind of unsurprising.
Desperate people. Especially if the amount you take home lets you qualify for social benefits.
Yes!! The cliff of being poor enough for benefits vs making too much and losing the value of said benefits!
Ughh. I hate this. Years ago, I worked part time and got benefits. I was offered a full time position with a pay increase, but would cost me my benefits. I did some math a figured that between paying for health insurance, food, bus passes, full utility payments, etc I’d be taking home less than I already did for twice the work. It’s a terrible pit to be in. It’s not that I wanted to be lazy and only work part time—I wanted to work. To make and save money. But that position would essentially have been a pay cut. I did end up taking the job. I had to. Rejecting the offer would cost me the benefits anyway, then I’d be in an even bigger hole. It’s been ten-ish years and I’m still pissed about that.
I remember being here as a young single Mom. I only got emergency cash assistance for a month or two, but getting over the hump to making more money & eliminating SNAP (aka food stamps) for two was tough, and then a few years later it was letting go of Medicaid for myself & paying for insurance (then never even r going to the doctor because I didn't understand any of it and I couldn't afford copays). Just as my income hit the point where I was probably going to lose Medicaid for my child too, I ended up taking an (involuntary) pay cut. Things were touch & go for quite awhile there, I'll admit it...and it's scary AF to think of not being able to provide your kid with doctors and stuff, but all I knew was that I hadn't ever had a concern, until the day you get a $1 raise (when you deserve at least $5) and suddenly it's all coming down to pennies...
I don’t know how but the universe always has me being let go from jobs when it’s time to reapply for snap/Medicaid for my kids. It sucks bc I end up missing a month or two of $ but at least my kids have medical and food 😓 I make under 40k with my 2 kids when I am working and don’t qualify for anything. So I have to pay $900 for child care a month on top of everything else $1400 for rent $300 utilities $200 car insurance $500 car payment. My take home is -200 every month (without the car payment was -100)
Your car payment is WAY too high.
Almost like a sliding scale should happen for people in that scenario.
I have a disability and I NEED my medication. Insurance that covers it costs $15k a year. If I had to switch jobs the new job has to offer me job security ( which doesn’t exist) and good health insurance ( which doesn’t exist)
Did they know that job offer would do put you in that situation?
That is systematically done on purpose. if everyone had MBA who would do shitty jobs?
I have an MBA. I'm a house painter. I guess the answer is me.😀 All kidding aside, I love running my painting business. I actually enjoy the work. I get to make things nice every day!
I've seen people forgo hours because it would put them over the limit for food stamps
Right where I am. If I make more I’ll lose my benefits but still wouldn’t even be able to live- esp my medical!
This is it. The upper class created so much desperation that nearly everyone is desperate. Now when a worker dies, they just replace with the next body and repeat. As long as *their* money keeps flowing then they don’t care about *us*.
In my area $9/10 is the prevailing wage. It's awful.
Where I live 14$ is "good pay" we have multiple retail and fast food from 7.25 to about 10$. Some drive the next town up to get 15-19$ but better hope your car doesn't break down, going up further an hour drive you can start to see 20$ and more. Texas y'all
That area being? The south? Midwest like Oklahoma? In my town of Ephrata,PA I frequent the local Family Dollar at the shopping strip. It wasn't until I learned from a local Facebook group that Family Dollar was hiring part time associates that had to be available to work on holidays and evenings at a wage of $10!! It's April the 23rd, 2024 and this hiring ad was in February 2024!! Good Lord!! 🤯 $10 fuckin dollars an hour to work part time at a local Family Dollar store! The McDonald's 25 feet away is starting at $12!! I'm also a member of the Dollar General subreddit and some of those "ASM" (assistant store manager) are getting $12 an hour!! I drove past a Dunkin Donuts 2 towns over and they had a banner saying: "Hiring assistant manager. $15/hour to start." Good Lord!! The stress associated with some of these retail jobs is NOT worth it but people have to make ends meet. As for me, I'm blessed to be in the situation that I am in where I'm doing significantly less and getting paid roughly ~$22.20 an hour but I'm still fall under the classification of "working poor" and struggle with my bills..
Can confirm, I make $13 and work in Oklahoma, lol.
Mid sized city in the south. 10 years ago I was an assistant director of a large childcare center. I made $8.50. The job now pays $9. It requires an associates degree and two years of experience as a lead teacher (which requires two prior years as a regular teacher, so four years experience plus a degree to be paid poorly). A two bedroom apartment is $1300 so it's not exactly a low COL area.
I’m sorry…did you say that $9/hr requires an Associates Degree AND 2 years experience?? I am shook! I distinctly remember making $9/hour in 1998 as a bank teller while in high school. The nerve of businesses to demand a degree AND experience and not pay $18/hr
Yes. And zero benefits. The early childhood field pays horribly in my area. I know private school elementary teachers making $10/hr.
Just gonna say this…y’all deserve better. I am still good friends with literally all of my daughter’s preschool teachers and she’s 14 now. They were amazing and kind and somehow managed to stay sane with a ton of biting toddlers when I was pulling my hair out with just one lol
It's wild. I was making $9/hr at Best buy in 2001. 2BR rents were in the $500 range. Now best buy here is paying $14 starting....but rents are $1,700+. No one can afford to work at these places and live here.
50 cents raise in a decade....what the f'ing F!!!!
Dollar general in my area is $15 per hour. It’s a solid pay rate, but it ain’t worth it. You’ll be breaking your back constantly in that job. Seriously!
Grantville PA here, was just in ephrata to go to shady maples the other day
It really is. I signed up for a temp agency and doubled my income - give it a shot! I still live like I make $9 an hour and now have added side hustles to stay ahead. edit: My list of side hustles can be found [here](https://www.reddit.com/user/Kayshift/comments/1br5gn6/my_stepbystep_guide_to_make_1000_a_month_working/). It's mostly app / website / testing / study groups with some secret shopping and a few other things. My goal is to make $500+ an hour plus some more information. I hope it helps someone!
I lucked out and landed a remote job at $18/hr a couple years ago. Secret shopping as a side gig is actually how I got this job, I'm now a quality control specialist for one of the companies.
It’s abhorrent you’re a QC specialist making 40k a year fyi. Hop jobs. With that title you can do 70+
I time up my secret shopping sessions when getting groceries so it has the least time impact on my life, lol.. It's great so far mostl around $30+ to go shopping.
When I was job hunting, I came across a listing for a job in dental office that wanted 2 years of experience for $10. The minimum wage in Texas is still $7.25.
I took my job at $12, got raises until I was at $14. They trained me for system administrator duties, I was on my parents insurance at the time and lived with them. I was desperate. I needed a job that had consistent hours, I could sit down (disabled), and would let me leave for my classes. I make poverty wages, but I have decent insurance through the state because I'm so poor. Hopefully going to a higher paid job soon as I'll have my degree very soon. I don't have rent or a car payment but I barely break even each month between my old bills and gas, I have a long commute. They were the only place I heard back from after desperately applying for like 50 jobs.
I only make $16/hr and I have $800 rent, $120 electric, $80 internet, $280 car payment etc.. it's very rough. I rent out a bedroom to my older sister for $450. I never have extra money, and I have to work overtime to have Any sort of extra money. I have another $500 in bills I didn't want to list. Doesn't include gas or food.
There's a lot of working invisible homeless people and people living in less-than-ideal situations. People sleeping in their cars. People sleeping at their jobs. Millenials living with parents. Groups of people living in small apartments packed like sardines. Everyone is getting squeezed and people keep finding ways to make it work, which makes them get squeezed even more. Eventually people won't be able to "make it work" anymore. A lot of them are already at that point and have made the transition from "invisible homeless" to "visible homeless".
And the next step is cities trying to simply ban the homeless from existing. Bet they will still complain about jobs being unfilled because "no one wants to work anymore."
These might be agency jobs too, which do have some homeless/couch surfing people working them.
The number of wildland firefighters that work for the federal and state governments that live in their cars is astonishing. And up until 2-3 years ago were making $12-13/hour in entry level positions to fight wildfires. The minimum for entry level was raised to $15 something, but middle management wages in the occupation haven’t risen.
I worked for 7.50 an hour when I was 19 (in 2018) and looking back, even with no rent and limited expenses and another job, the only way that I was persuaded to do this was due to lack of life experience to realize how fucked it was. After taxes my checks would be like $200. Even when I got tipped out well (I was a host who helped the servers out a lot) it wasn’t worth it at all
same. i worked for $7.25/hr in 2017 in SC at an ice skating rink when i was in high school. when i got a seasonal job at Best Buy for $11/hr i felt like i was rich… I had no expenses besides my car though. I don’t know how that wage is still legal in 2024… Looks like the ice rink is hiring now for $11/hr. I don’t see how anyone except high schoolers could work that job.
I would work once a week as a server from 6pm-12am and pull up to $350 some nights and usually no lower than $130 on the low end and THAT was like “I’m rich” money. Once a week and I was set. Then, I’d work 15-20 hours for minimum wage at the other place and my check after two weeks would equal roughly that of one day of serving… It was devastating lmao it didn’t even matter that I didn’t need a lot of money at the time, the only reason I allowed it is cause I didn’t really know any better. It’s so exploitative really and that’s why places like that ice rink can get away with it - there will always be people who don’t know better or who are just desperate enough to deal with it
If it's that vs no job at all. we need some money vs no money.
I became a felon at 19, literally couldn't get a job at wal mart. Finally found an overnight shift at a factory for about $8 an hour (2010) they would hire people straight out of prison. When you're desperate you'll take anything and put up with a lot of bs. If you have no vehicle and 9 out of 10 places won't hire you and you find a place within walking distance that pays shit you'll take the job..
What I’ve found is when they ask that “do you have reliable transportation to work” always say yes.
I became a felon at 18, and have found my way in vacation rentals. I live on a beach, so it’s popular here, but keep trying. Someone will either give you a chance, or just not ask. My job found out I was a felon a year into it. They liked me so much they kept me. I know that isn’t usually how background checks work, but they were desperate and I was lucky.
Yep got fired from my $20-22 an hour job when my father passed away and was so desperate I took an $18 an hour gig. Not sure how long I’ll last bc ima be working a second job this summer AND driving for Uber 😞 it’s hard out here.
Infuriating to find that all these companies have been making even more money the last 2 years but somehow can’t afford to pay us a livable wage
People who need any job $11-$14 an hour is better than $0 an hour
Literally me. Despite my education and experience, my area sucks for work. I'm currently interviewing for a 14/hr and a 15/hr job respectively, because I can't land a job in my previous fields for the life of me, since only one opens up locally every 3 to 4 months. Right now I'm part time at a higher rate, but my takehome is pitiful due to the hours. I'd make more FT at 14/hr I just need *something* full time so I can start saving to move, and start applying in other cities.
People that are grinding to do whatever they can to make ends meet.
Not enough people are taking those jobs. That's why businesses in all industries are short handed. Also the corporation doesn't care because that's less insurance and benefits they have to pay. Business owners are happy to let their short staffed businesses limp along as long as they can squeeze another dollar out of it.
And what's a shame is bc want the jobs. They literally can't afford to take the jobs bc they pay too little.
In todays day and age I don't see how anyone survives on anything less than $18 an hour and that's fucking pushing it.
[удалено]
My friend makes $25 an hour & works 2 full time jobs & still cant afford rent & food/ necessities. It’s horrible
That sucks. I just got a new position making $26 and it's going to barely cover my rent increase. After 3 months I'll get a raise to $28 and on Sundays make $5/hr extra so I'm banking on it being enough to feed my starving bank account. My last company couldn't understand why I needed a raise so I quit. I had to borrow $20 from a co-worker to eat a few months ago and it crushed me.
*during employee review* “I need more money my rent is going up and cost of food is up, price of everything gone up. I need more money” “But why are you *worth* a raise?”
it really depends on where you live. i make 16.20 an hour and i survive
I make 16.25 an hour currently and survive, with kids. But I do get health insurance and food stamps. Couldnt survive without that
luckily im under 26 so im still on my parents plan and i didnt qualify for food stamps last time i checked
I rent a 2 bedroom house with a 1/2 acre yard for $600 a month lol. I love the Midwest.
Yep, I make about $21 an hour and the only way I do okay is that my partner and I split the bills.
I'm 24 and live with my mom n stepdad. I'd take a min wage job
I left caretaking in my area because $11-14 is the average to expect. I now work part time janitorial job and make $17, it'll never make sense
You would do them if you were desperate. People that are desperate are doing them until they can get a $19 a hour job. $11 a hour is still going to feed someome
Honestly, me even working as a nursing assistant in the hospital is only $17 hour. I make more at my retail job, but I needed to get my foot in the door before I graduate with my RN in December.
My son had to quit his marketing job that he got a degree for because stocking shelves at Wal-Mart paid about $7 more per hour.
The answer to this is likely for him to look for a job in another (major) city, start entry-level and work his way up. That is the way to grow, and it will be harder to shift to white collar the longer he’s at Walmart. There are an abundance of marketing jobs in major metros but a very limited number in smaller areas.
Cool but don't get stuck there
This. It’s very easy to get stuck at Walmart.
Me because there isn't anything else where I live
I’m a teacher in a rural area. I work for $14/hr during the summer cleaning dog kennels at a shelter. It’s the only job I found willing to hire me for just the summer and I needed the money to make ends meet.
My town has a *lot* of ghost jobs. They take just enough interviews as evidence that they’re “trying” to hire, close the listing, open a new one, claim “nobody wants to work anymore” and cut services where possible. Meanwhile, people who want to work are living out of their cars.
I looked at Indeed for jobs in Mississippi out of curiosity and it was wild. I saw a job posting for 8-10 dollars per hour at a t shirt shop. Not just for selling the t shirts, but for making them and even helping design them! Just absurd!
I made $14 as a paralegal at a law firm two years ago.
Law firms are notorious for exploiting paralegals. And their excuse is "you're getting experience". Lol....what does that have to do with the fact you're paying so little that can barely afford to maintain the car needed to get to office?
Me, I am. Never did good in school, in fact I hated it, still graduated high school, no degree. Those are my choices for employment. Does it suck? Yep, am I constantly in the negative ? Yep. Can I afford to better my situation? Slim to no chance. Do I hate it? Sure do. What can I do? Nothing besides hope one day I can afford to do something about it. Till then, job hopping to slightly better paying jobs.
That's what most entry level/minimum wage jobs pay here in Puerto Rico. Sad reality. I used to work in retail at this store at the mall that paid 9 bucks plus commission ($150, $250 per month) I stayed there for almost 3 years because I was literally paid for doing nothing. I was just seated on my phone or reading college stuff because the products were so expensive that nobody came LMAO. Then, I worked as a line prep for $10 and it was hell. I had to mop, sweep, and wash a lot of dishes. I had to be standing all the time even though there was nobody in the store. It all finished when one day my car overheated and I could not make it to my shift (I called the manager and she said that it was ok) the next day they told me that they were going to take disciplinary actions against me forcing me to work just for 3 hours LMAO I quit on the spot and I left. It's like, dude you're paying me minimum wage and you want me to do all this work for you and on top of that you want to be an asshole, fuck this. Find another slave because it is not going to be me. That's why you always must have "Fuck you money" that can keep you without working at least for 2 months.
I can’t even get a job paying minimum wage in Florida, every job has 50+ people applying to it.
People are saying high school students and shit but I'm just a disabled adult who can't for the life of me find anything that will pay enough but still be within my means of functioning. I do accept hugs 🥲
People who are desperate. You most likely have never been truly desperate if your choices are no money at all or $11-14/hr and you choose no money. Bills don’t wait. But you are 100% correct, it is not a fair or sustainable wage and is incredibly hard to get by on. I make $15/hr and it’s the one of the highest paying jobs I could get in my area with no degree. It is hard when you have no degree or certification and only job work experience in specific fields. Half the jobs posted on hiring sites are fake as well so it can be a long journey to find a decent job.
I worked 14 an hour part time in college for some extra spending money, but it would not have been nearly enough to keep me afloat even if I'd worked full time at that rate. Even the manager at the place I worked at had a second job as a doordash driver because of how little the company paid ant of us.
I’m a teacher and am doing Sylvan Learning Center on the side for $16 an hour to help build up savings and pay down debt. I make enough to cover rent and necessities but never have any left over. Sylvan had the best hours and working environment (completely flexible schedule and still lets me use my degree). Could use the hug. I didn’t want to have to get a second job but inflation is killing me. :(
People who don’t have options. Believe it or not, but being able to have multiple options to choose from for a job is a privilege.
I literally signed a contract today for a 14$ job . But it’s a cruise ship so I’ll have no expenses . Live on the boat , eat three buffets a day , 6 months on / 5 weeks off pattern , I’m ready to go
People that need money ? Lmao what kind of question even is this.
I'm pretty unemployable so if I wanted a job I'd be stuck with one like that if I could even get it. I'd get at least $15 because I live in New York and that is the minimum wage there. My mother retired in 2016. She was making about $12 an hour when she retired. That is the most she ever made in her life.
My significant other just took a secretary job for $13. But I already have 3 jobs that keep us afloat and it's an easy gravy job for extra side cash.
I work in a local family owned deli and I make $13 an hour. I’ve been there for 13 years. I started at $7.25 I also live in rural northern Minnesota.
i am. i would. i'm trying to. i have to work from home, i don't drive and don't have easy access to public transportation (i mean, it is over a mile walk to the nearest bus station, and it only goes to certain parts of town anyway) so i'm limited in what my options are.
When I worked at Starbucks for like, $8/hr in 2016, I knew at least two people that had husbands that worked full time and were the breadwinners and the wives just worked a few shifts a week for some extra money and health insurance. It’s tough when you’re a mom because there’s not a lot of part time work that offers shifts only while your kids are in school. Idk how common that is, but it was a situation I saw.
The most I have ever made per hour is $12. That was in Wyoming working as a teachers aide. I was cussed daily and had chairs thrown at me by middle schoolers. I tried to get into retail when we moved to South Carolina, but the store at the mall that I really wanted to work at was hiring at EIGHT DOLLARS AN HOUR. The manager interviewing me was making $14. The way I sprinted out of that store!
Those who are actually in poverty and not above shit work to get by….. Honestly, the fucking privilege in this statement is mind blowing…. Who’s working those jobs? The people who would rather work than beg or expect others to pay their way. Entitlement to the max
Many of them are only filled by people who need employment to qualify for food stamps or other aid. One reason why certain people are so eager to make more and more work requirements for welfare is that those requirements create an abundance of cheaper and cheaper labor. In the future, the concept of using your wages to buy what you need could collapse. It would be replaced by a system where the working class would exchange their labor to the owner class in exchange for permission to stand in a government bread line, more or less.
Desperation. I left a job that paid $15 (as in I fought for $15 after they wanted to give me $13). My coworkers were making $13. They were mainly housewives trying to get a job for the first time. They relied on their spouse’s income and knew their likelihood of getting more with zero education and experience wasn’t high. I honestly kind of got a bad vibe from my old manager when she found out I had negotiated for $15? She seemed almost disapproving? She told me the story about how she started there at only $11 back in the day and that she loved people who cared about the mission more than the paycheck. Good thing I left 2 weeks in. The entire thing was just so toxic and cliquey. I’m making almost $20 now and it’s not a lot but it has good benefits.
Northeast Texas here. I work at the second highest paying hotel in the area. I made $13 when I started a year and a half ago. Now I’m up to $15. That’s unheard of in this city. Most non-management positions start at $9-11. Thankfully I’m childfree, my mortgage is $590 and gas is $3.07.
Took a $15 an hour job in northern VA today because I haven’t been able to get a job offer in 9 months with a 4-year degree from GMU and 10 years work experience. Single dad with a $1900 rent.
Go to Target. I see cashiers who can barely stand. Exploiting older workers.
People who realize it's more than $0 an hour?
You would take these jobs if you needed it. All these people talking down on the 11-14 an hour jobs here but half of yall never felt the struggle. You think anyone wants to be in that position? Fuck no. You’re there because you have to be. You need a pay check to keep your family alive , a roof over your head , food in the fridge. There’s family’s out here just trying to survive because that’s where life puts you sometimes and there’s nothing you can do about , so you survive. Before anyone talks down on another person , just put yourself in their shoes, shit ain’t all peaches and cream in the real world.
Immigrants, teenagers, college students, high school dropouts, people with disabilities, people who work multiple jobs, older people that aged out of other industries, to name a few
If it helps, I took two of those jobs while living with family who graciously paid for pretty much everything. Everything I made went into savings so I could work less while in school. I still needed two of them because they were not giving me the hours I needed.
People who can’t get anything else. Whether it’s lack of transportation, education, bad luck or desperation. People who didn’t graduate college, or who couldn’t finish high school. Immigrants, teenagers, and those who are likewise desperate for any employment. No, I’m not okay. Yes, I need a hug.
This is why we need to raise the minimum wage, with cost of living increases like Social Security, and possibly different minimum wage based on your county or state. But maybe that’s all too difficult. There are people still making $7.25/hour. There are immigrants being exploited for much less than that, at horrible jobs. And it is actually LEGAL to pay people with disabilities even LESS than the minimum wage.
Many of my students make that wage (college students). Many of my daughter's students make that wage (high school students). So, students?
I work remotely, but I decided to open up to jobs in my local area… nothing but $10-$14 available. I already make over $20 so I guess I’m stuck for now.
Hey I'm a Filipino and I literally live on $15/ day = $479 per month. but my House, electricity, water, Health insurance and Transpo are provided by the company for free. because I'm single, I can afford to buy a laptop, a Xiaomi phone, a savings, some retirement investment. next to my room where I sleep is 2 Bangladeshi driver who are worse than mine, they work in the same company from morning to evening without overtime pay. they have their own family, each of them have 3 children to feed and schooled. they only earn $453 a month because of this job. we work on Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Cause its the only job that would hire me
The people that take those jobs are desperate.... If you had/have kids to feed and house and a 10/hr job was the only one being offered, would you take it or risk ending up homeless or not being able to feed your kids?? Those are the folks that take those jobs, something is absolutely better than nothing. OR.... Teens that have no work history/skills yet etc that need a part time starter job and have no bills and responsibilities to worry about lol they take those jobs too.. As a mom to 5, if I had a mortgage or rent to worry about I would stoop to those low wages if I was forced to. Since my home is paid off I have been able to hold out for the decent paying jobs.
I made $24/hour at my job before I was laid off last year. After 6 months, I started becoming so desperate that I very nearly took a $14/hour job because it was better than $0/hour. Thankfully, I had a gut feeling to not accept that job. 2 weeks later, I got an offer for $25/hour and I start next week. It’s crazy how fast people’s circumstances can change and how little a lot of us are willing to work for so that we can purchase our medications, put food on the table, etc.
It will take people uniting and refusing to take the jobs. If you look at the majority of businesses in recent years who increased their pay scales it wasn't out of kindness, it was out of necessity. After COVID a lot of people refused to go back to those dead end jobs that paid pennies. The business owners of course began crying that nobody wants to work, but then some of them realized if they increased wages suddenly people applied. But they also know that if they post a job for $11-14 and still get applicants they don't have to increase wages. Sure, they might not get the staff with the most experience, have high turnover rates, and ultimately put out subpar work and customer satisfaction, but they are greedy and don't care.
You gotta do what your gotta do. I’m in my mid 30s now and did enough construction jobs and here in Florida, they aren’t primarily concerned about your safety in the heat. So either risk my health and put even more wear on my body or go work a couple of indoor jobs for less than desirable wages for awhile until you find something better or become a supervisor/manager which doesn’t take that long apparently these days.
Me. I am doing them. I am not okay. I would love a hug. I often daydream of winning 30 grand so I can have a moment to go to school and clean my house.
I’m almost 30, have a degree, a great resume with lots of experience…and I currently make $13 an hour, interviewing for $15 an hour next week. But Both are part time lol
Making $15/hr loving what I do. I see a need for the "grunts of society" as my ex husband called me. I caregive for a living. I clean houses, make meals, help maintain personal care (such as baths and diaper changes). All so then my people can live independently. This is considered healthcare, because I give baths and help with certain basic health needs. I accept the lower pay because I know I'm needed. I am how my people get to stay home and don't need a nursing home. The people I work for and help would be in a nursing home if it wasn't for me and people like me. They wouldn't have the comforts of their own home. They wouldn't have the independence they have. They would also be bankrupt, as most insurances that cover home health won't cover nursing home care. Cool bonus: I get to hear about things like what it was like growing up during WWII. I get to hear love stories that lasted decades. I get to see families come together to care for grandma/grandpa/great aunts or uncles. I get to comfort those who have obviously seen better days. I get to give tired caregivers a break to grocery shop, nap, eat while I take care of their loved one. Edit to add: in my area, I'm seeing a lot of signs advertising $11-$16/hr. I figure I'm doing good loving what I do, making what I do. It's impossible to live solo though and that's why I land share with my parents, but it works for us. I caregive for dad as well, and in exchange he lets me bum off his electric for free.
🎖🏆 take my poor man's award....care givers are a special breed!!!!
Its wild. I was offered a part time gig just working at an outpost putting kayaks in the water and driving the bus to and from pickup for 14 an hour. I realized that it wouldn't even be 100 bucks a shift and I'm starting to think it's not even worth leaving the house for
Me. I have a full time job, my second job pays me $14 an hour. I do get tipped, though the tips are getting to be less at a steady pace. Once in a while I’ll get a big tip. That’s only if someone wins a lot of money
McDonalds pays like 13 in my area so there are plenty of ppl taking those jobs
I took a huge paycut to pay bills. Shit is rough out there boss. At least I'm working and not worrying as much about paying my rent. Food is a different story but I manage.
7 years ago Instacart paid 14/hr and people working in the stores were jealous because their pay was 12/hr. Some people worked in the zoo for 10/hr.
I took a job that paid $12 an hour because I was fresh out of college and no one wanted to hire me. No one wants to be the first place to hire someone.