Why are workers in the USA working longer and harder now for less money than 25 years ago?

Answer 1

When I was in high school (in the early 60s), we learned that one of the biggest problems that we would face as adults "in the future" would be what to do with all of our free time. It was said that we'd all make oodles of money by working only half or even a quarter of the time that it took our fathers' to make a barely decent wage. How wrong they were!
It seems to me that the rich keep getting richer--and keep taking more and more of the profits from any business for themselves, while we DO work harder and harder for less money--AND less in the way of "percs", benefits, or being valued by the companies.
A writer the other night spoke of workers getting the best of the deal as companies compete for their labor. What world was he in??
I've met a number of CEOs in my day, and do not find that they are any smarter or more hard working (quite the contrary...) than
anyone else. And I've met a lot of talented, well-educated, SMART people who work for little or nothing.
Is this due to so many jobs being sent to countries where workers earn 10 cents a day? I think so!
Where are unions when we need them? And, is anyone afraid of them any longer? (Not Wal-Mart---they'll just get "illegals" to work for them....)

Answer 2

No, look at consumption people own more cars, TV, air conditioning, DVD players, computers, running water. Just the wage gains gone to the top. Its not like workers are falling behind material wise cars are cheaper than 20 years ago, as is food, electronic goods. The killer is health care, and housing that eat up more income and the government should work on that with private industry. Income disparities are meaningless because after a few million dollars the lifestyle doesn't not really change after 10 to 20 million for 90% of people. USA, I agree should have the option of working 30 hour weeks if they want, and get benefits but they should only make 3/4 the wage of a 40 hour worker. Money is less nominally, but purchasing has risen a lot in the last 25 years, as a stated before health-care, housing is what is killer now every-other item is a lot cheaper now than 25 years ago. The next 25 the gap will grow wider because the other countries will catch up with the Untied States low skilled worker wages, but still people will by cars that will fly even making crap wages in 25 years, or get a teleporter to see the world. Afforable housing, and healthcare would allievate a lot of this stress for workers, I see no point in controlling wages of Ceos because most work like slaves for those millions and end up with high blood pressure for it

Answer 3

Slowly but surely the American worker has been trained to believe that he should be able to work a 5 hour day and receive 8 hours pay. I used to work for a union shop and your question almost makes me break out into a belly laugh. There were guys working in this plant who would do 3 - 4 hours of actual work a night and walk out from that 8 hour shift with $200 for the night's work. Then they would STILL complain that they were under paid and that they shouldn't have to work any weekends or overtime ever. $25 an hour to play games on the company computer with awesome benefits, clean safe working conditions, never have to even break a sweat, and then whine that they need more. When I was a kid I remember our next door neighbor and other aquaintances and family at the local paper mills and other manufacturing plants working rotating 12 hour shifts, 6 days a week. And these people were not living in mansions. And they did not whine like spoiled children. I think your stats are somewhat skewed. (By the way - the Japanese are still working an average of 25% more hours for 50% of the money that American workers get. And their productivity per manhour is 33% better than the American worker. Getting a picture here???)

Answer 4

The bush administration did all this. We were fine all the job went to china and india.Now is going to be harder to get those job back.What we have now is fast food restaurant. Wages that can not paid rent.I can not believe how much the rent now 1300.00 plus on the side you need to paid light,gas,food,phone etc.plus we own china money. With Obama I dont have no word. Worst,worst,worst. We need someone to fix this problem quick. America is no longer American.All I can do is Pray.Pray for America to be Better.Amen.

Answer 5

yep it's all Bush's fault! How dare he give everyone a tax cut that has stimulated the economy and given us the longest period of time with the lowest unemployment rates ever(4.5) last time I looked. I know what you're gonna say but those arn't the good jobs lol.. But when the latest boost in the minimum wage gets passed unemployment will go up again. I have more then I did 25 years ago but I think part of it at least is individual money managment.

Answer 6

During the Reagan years, the term "shareholder value" was introduced as a common term.

Since then we have been working for Wall Stree, which demands higher and higher profits each quarter.

The stock market is no longer a place to invest. It is a source of income to millions in the financial industry.

Answer 7

Maybe because they spend more money on foolish **** like cell phones, designer jeans, name brand shoes and there are more people in the work force. What would happen to wages if things were like before WW2. We would have half of the work force and someone would be watching the kids instead of tv's and video games raising them. We also would probably not have the crime rates we do now. Weather it is PC or not we did not have the problems we have today when we had a mother in the home!

Answer 8

Migrant ethnic workforce and their work ethics skew the findings. Think of the chinese and indians who work 16 hour days right through weekends and holidays. (And are also paid considerably less than their white counterparts)

And then ask what percentage of the workforce is now made up of this kind of workers as opposed to 25 years ago?

Answer 9

Outsourcing and tax cuts come to mind.
Can't oursource handyman work, but I still can't seem to make ends meet, especially with high gas prices.
Coors beer is cheaper nowadays, but maybe they don't have to buy as many automatic weapons for the Contras as they used to.
I don't know, I haven't bought a Bell Helicopter for some time now, either.

Answer 10

Computers were supposed to reduce the work week, but instead more people need to be paid to spend time maintaining the computers then would have been necessary to do the work by hand.