Minimum wage in your country?

[T.Neo]

Apparently there is no one 'minimum wage' here, but a whole system of minimum wages, that differs from profession to profession, from province to province, and also by qualification...

This page has minimum wage figures.

The lowest figure I could find was 6.26 Rand ($0.91) per hour for 'forestry workers'. Farm worker's is at R6.74 ($0.97), For domestic workers, R7.72 ($1.12), Taxi drivers, R9.29 ($1.35). For retail, it is R9.71 ($1.41) for a 'general assistant' to R19.99 ($2.90) for an 'assistant manager'. All USD figures are valid at the time of posting.

A loaf of bread costs around R7 to R12 ($1.01-$1.74), depending on brand. Mielie-meal (maize meal somewhat similar to polenta or grits, but made with white maize) is a staple food of many South Africans, but I'm not sure what it costs.

The really scary thing, however, is not minimum wage or cost of living, but rather the fact that- officially- 23% of the population is unemployed.

 

[tblaxland]

tblaxland, I actually just checked, and it is actually $15 per hour. http://www.fairwork.gov.au/pay/national-minimum-wage/pages/default.aspx

Thanks, I was using the previous year's figure and a 40 hour week. It should be based on a 38 week apparently.

By free, I mean free. The part you pay as a participation to the social system are the taxes. And the $10.14/hour are what you earn once the taxes are deducted (it's called General Social Contribution, CSG in French).

Take home pay after income tax is approx $13.35 if it is your first job, or $11.58 if it is your second. If you have dependants, you are eligible for social security benefits too (approx additional $3-4/hour effectively, but it gets complicated because it varies so much based on individual circumstances).

So, how costs a kilogram of rice (that should be international enough) in your country ?

1 kg bag: ~AUD 2.50 - 2.90/kg (USD 2.64 - 3.06)
5 kg bag: ~AUD 1.60 - $2.20/kg (USD 1.69 - 2.32)

EDIT:

A loaf of bread costs around R7 to R12 ($1.01-$1.74), depending on brand.

~AUD 2.00 - 4.00 (USD 2.11 - 4.23) here.

EDIT2:

The really scary thing, however, is not minimum wage or cost of living, but rather the fact that- officially- 23% of the population is unemployed.

4.9% and decreasing here. Even when unemployment spiked(?) temporarily during the GFC, the total number of persons employed never actually decreased. It flattened out a little, and the temporary spike in unemployment was mostly only due to the continuing skilled immigrant program. Unemployment rates and participation rates are at historical extremes in this country and we are currently looking for ways to increase participation. Skilled labour shortage is a real problem here.

 

[Turbinator]

Skilled labour shortage is a real problem here.

What kind of skilled labour exactly?
Is there any site that lists the occupations?

 

[tl8]

What kind of skilled labour exactly?
Is there any site that lists the occupations?

Everything. The mining companies are always looking for people.

 

[Turbinator]

Anything specifically in the Surveying/Civil Engineering fields with these mining companies?
I always wanted to work in an outdoor environment, like a mineral/resource surveyor.

 

[tl8]

Anything specifically in the Surveying/Civil Engineering fields with these mining companies?
I always wanted to work in an outdoor environment, like a mineral/resource surveyor.

Plenty of demand for them. Though you won't be very popular with the locals...

The going rate would be about $100K AUD before tax. You would also need to get an appropriate visa. We have strict immgration controls.

 

[SiberianTiger]

So, how costs a kilogram of rice (that should be international enough) in your country ?

Here it's 0.89€/kg in a discount store, which makes 1,27 $/kg. I guess it's much much less in Russia, for exemple.

The cheapest I just looked up on the Internet store is $1.37 by today's rate. The one I would like to buy for my pilaw, however, is $2.55. That's not too much different from a street market's price.

 

[Urwumpe]

We have strict immgration controls.

Just getting arrested in the UK is enough, isn't it?

 

[JEL]

1 kg of rice here goes for anything between 2 US$ and up to 10 US$ depending on which types you buy.

The un-employment figure is pretty useless here, since it can be calculated in so many different ways that it becomes meaningless.
Besides, there was a time when everybody dreamed about a future where science and technology would eliminate the need to work and leave us all free to live

 

[indonesianorbinaut]

established by provincial and district authorities, which vary by province, district, and sector; as high as Rp. 1,410,000 per month in Papua; as low as Rp. 675,000 per month in West Java

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_wages_by_country"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_wages_by_country[/ame]

 

[Urwumpe]

The un-employment figure is pretty useless here, since it can be calculated in so many different ways that it becomes meaningless.
Besides, there was a time when everybody dreamed about a future where science and technology would eliminate the need to work and leave us all free to live

I don't really give up dreaming of a world, in which you would only work for self-fulfillment or luxuries, and all your basic income is ensured. I know that it can work, but I know that it has no chance as long as we have still a neo-feudal system here, in which performance is preached as ultima ratio, but incompetence rewarded.

 

[Belisarius]

Here in Spain it's €21.38 for an 8-hour day. €2.67 per hour!

And even with labour that cheap there's still 20% unemployment.

Still, at least we're not in the same boat as Portugal (yet), so there's some hope.

A Wikipedia page of global comparisons

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_wages_by_country"]List of minimum wages by country - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

[Krys]

Nice Graphs for comparison

Its scary that in Luxemburg I'm earning just above minimum wage after 4 years in my job!

We have strict immgration controls.

Not as bad as the UK believe me!

Just getting arrested in the UK is enough, isn't it?

Well, actually my family were sent there to....er.....stop bugging the King....... or Queen whoever was in power.

 

[Fixerger]

$0.72 per hour / $120 per month.

 

[clickypens]

here in Mexico the minimum wage is about $4.50USD per day. A kilo of rice costs a little under a dollar.

Unemployment here isn't really the big problem, it's the poverty level: 50% of the population live beneath the international poverty line.

 

[Wally]

Around 1.25 $/hr, give or take 10%, below EU average with general prices around EU average.