Low-wage workers' wages surged after decades of slow growth
epi.org
epi.org
Infographics: Wealth Inequality in America (2012)
(2023) 10 year update to Inequality for All (2013) - Robert Reich
Laos (poorest SE Asian country) has less inequality than France as measured by Gini.
Is life really better in Laos than France? How about for the poor?
Laos has it better off than America? You're just trolling now
With regards to the anecdotes you mention, please ask them to report every incident to the FTC [3], the CFPB, the Dept of Labor, and any other relevant state or federal regulators. To action, they must be made aware.
[1] https://www.americanprogress.org/article/workers-paychecks-a...
>please ask them to report every incident to the FTC, the Dept of Labor, and any other relevant state or federal regulator.
No. If my friend doesn't even have time to make 3 stops around town to collect maximum allowed money orders for their landlord (who recently started requiring money orders for some reason) because they understandably don't have a bank account because they can't risk the fees, I would simply lose them as a friend if I made such an out-of-touch suggestion.
I agree. This is like asking them to "eat cake" when they're broke and starving. Collective action at work, unionizing, or through pooling efforts through legal and regulatory channels are more scalable efforts overworked and underpaid (and often cheated) people must use because letting it slide allows it to continue.
I will think on how to make this reporting as frictionless as possible for such cohorts. If authorities are not aware of these events, they cannot seek redress for the injured. The harm won't magically go away, even if these systems are broadly improved. Unions still have a grievance process, for example.
If you're not looking for solutions and are only complaining/venting, that's fine too, just be upfront that you're not looking for a solution and I won't pollute the thread at attempting to help. I cannot speak to your friendship, but this is how I help my poor friends.
[1] https://www.usps.com/shop/money-orders.htm
You have to be joking. Unionizing and a strong workers movement is the only thing that has ever moved the needle. The only exception might arguably be state competition, but this is the US we're talking about so that would be irrelevant.