Well over $100k in the higher cost of living states, too. And as the article states, that’s typically about double what the median salary is for a single person in most states.
I’d like to point out that AES states - while maybe they didn’t have all the same quality or quantity of consumer goods - were able to able to to provide a comfortable life for everyone without all the predatory that US workers currently have. And don’t take my word for it, take it from the neoliberal queen herself, Angela Merkel. When asked about life in the former GDR, she described it as “almost comfortable”. Now before you mention that “almost” is an important qualifier, note that the context of her quote was her trying to criticize the former GDR but she grudgingly conceded the comment above.
Yes, though where I live that number isn’t relevant due to both state laws and market conditions. There are entry level jobs at places like Target, Amazon, McDonalds, etc that pay around $17-$18 per hour.
But even that is still about HALF of the minimum salary needed to live comfortably. Incredible because it doesn’t feel like it was that long ago where there was the push for $15/hr as a living wage (because it was back then).
I don't have the numbers or anything but when the push for $15 was happening, that was already well below what a min wage should be. It always cracks me up whenever you get into the min wage argument and the chuds are all screeching about $15 being too high, and I'm just like "you sweet summer child..."
Here in TX, the min wage is still $7.25 and places do still exercise that when posting jobs. It's a disgrace.