Americans work 25% more than Europeans

[Spectral]

Considering income inequality will obviously distort any averages, this source on the median is the only one worth using.

This is self-reported, pre-tax PPP-converted dollars. The tax component might be significant in particular.

I'm not sure what you're trying to argue, the US appears to be middle of the pack on income according to this source.

No, it appears to be middle of the top ten in the world, outstripped only by a tiny handful of tiny Northern European countries. But whatever, read whatever you want into it, I guess. Admitting that Americans are more productive than Europeans seems very painful for a lot of MMO posters.

[Mormolyce]

No, it appears to be middle of the top ten in the world, outstripped only by a tiny handful of tiny Northern European countries. But whatever, read whatever you want into it, I guess. Admitting that Americans are more productive than Europeans seems very painful for a lot of MMO posters.

But those are exactly the nations you're being compared to. Which European nation were you thinking of, Bosnia? :P

If you're working 25% longer hours than the Europeans, I bloody well hope you're more productive.

P.S. How exactly do you define "productive"?

[draykorinee]

Aye, more productive when you're working 25% more who'd have thunk it.

[Trump]

What privilege? Having parents that pay for your education? Because I didn't have that.

What I did have was parents who raised me to work hard, and value education. My parents did not help me financially since I turned 18.

I am now 28, married, have a college degree, and own a home. I have very little debt, go on vacations regularly, and have absolutely no trouble paying my bills.

If my privilege was having a good upbringing, then fine. But I'm going to call fucking bullshit on the whole being well off because your parents pay for your education, or because you inherit money. My personal experience has taught me otherwise. Not that having parents who give you money doesn't help, but it's certainly not required.

In America if you want to be well off and you have the motivation to do so you can be. Period. If you say otherwise, then you simply don't know how to be successful, or are too lazy to try and figure it out.

Don't believe me? Try it. Actually try it.

IMO, people need to stop blaming others for their situation and take personal responsibility. Step one to success is realizing that you are in control of your life and that you are responsible for it. Not the government, not your environment, you. I mean yeah, you could blame other people. Some of that blame might be legitimate, maybe even all of it. But blaming others will never make you better off. That's the truth. Take a spoonful and swallow it.

AWESOME post!! /clap.

Does my heart good to know that there are still younger people that totally get what life is actually about. Going by alot of the things I see posted on this board I was under the impression that most younger folk were just lazy and uneducated morons (that think they know everything about everything.) Thank you for restoring my faith that there are still some well adjusted, common sense folks still around.

[draykorinee]

AWESOME post!! /clap.

Does my heart good to know that there are still younger people that totally get what life is actually about. Going by alot of the things I see posted on this board I was under the impression that most younger folk were just lazy and uneducated morons (that think they know everything about everything.) Thank you for restoring my faith that there are still some well adjusted, common sense folks still around.

That post stunk of someone who had it easy growing up.

[Trump]

That post stunk of someone who had it easy growing up.

LOL - that is a ridiculous assessment of his posted. Completely fucking ridiculous.

[Tomyris]

Yeah we just live like peasants. Despite living in bigger houses, driving bigger cars, owning better phones, and buying more games than Europeans.

Quoting for the laughs.
But in case you were not sarcastic, I got rid of my bigger car and bought a smaller one but more practical. I do not see a point to owning a ''better phone'', why would I do that, just to pay a little Chinese kid his 10 years worth of salary? How very kind from the average american. I buy only the games I am interested in, why would I buy dozens and dozens? The only thing worth arguing is the housing. Most of the people I know that have the resources to move to a bigger house choose not to, just because they do not need it. It seems to me you are very proud about material things and some people just do not give a shit about these. So, yeah, we get down to the cultural thing again. If a person is not interested in excessive spending, they won't work themselves to death to buy a better phone.

[draykorinee]

LOL - that is a ridiculous assessment of his posted. Completely fucking ridiculous.

Not really, but I appreciate the input. Someone who admits to having a good upbringing saying hey guys, its down to you to make it, don't blame your poverty stricken upbringing is the height of ridiculousness.

[Magicpot]

Sick pay is both unlimited and mandatory here, and all extra time has to be paid or given as comp to take off. Unless you're an executive who makes significantly more then other employees at your firm.

[zenkai]

I'm an American and I only work 40hrs a week. Is this uncommon in the US? I've never had a job where I had to work more and I may not be rich but I make a decent salary..

No idea, it's just been my experience ever since I got my degree. Lowering paying jobs I hardly ever worked more than 40 because they didn't want to pay overtime.

[Deix-EU]

And 80% of americans have higher "self esteem" of themselves in a narcissic and bad way (Study from psycho/scientific team). The study concludes it's better to get self-control than "self esteem".

[markos82]

I own my home and it takes me 2 1/2 hours to do yard work maintenance about once a week, more if it rains a lot, less often if it rains less of course. That's not including any additional project I need to do, blah. This is one of the many reasons you don't see me here on the weekend, I have shit to do!

And? If you make enough money you would learn how to delegate jobs and/or time. You can hire someone to take care of your yard ( btw my weekend home has 2000m^2 yard with about 60 trees ( apple mostly ) and that just the bakyard, front has about 600^2) and i find time to do shit during weekends!

[Spectral]

But those are exactly the nations you're being compared to. Which European nation were you thinking of, Bosnia? :P

If you're working 25% longer hours than the Europeans, I bloody well hope you're more productive.

P.S. How exactly do you define "productive"?

This has been rehashed a dozen times in this thread. Those aren't the nations to compare to - they're tiny, homogenous, and have unusual niche economies. The nations to reasonably compare to are Germany, France, Italy, and the UK.

How "productive" is defined isn't actually some deep mystery. I've already replied to this exact quibble at least a half dozen times in this thread.

[Shakadam]

I spent a year in the EU as an exchange student, it was so easy to abuse the system there. I cant speak for all the country nor am I saying its not the case in the US however, I strongly believe that in both case, it shouldn't be. Id rather see resources diverted into research and rewarding success and completely ignore those who are too incompetent or unwilling to help themselves.

Yes that's a really great way of getting massive amounts of impoverished citizens which obviously comes with high criminality and social unrest.

[Docturphil]

The minimum wage to afford a decent quality of life in my state is over 20 dollars... 9 just does not cut it anymore

Doesn't the government pay you a certain amount every year just to live in Alaska?

Well whatever, if you're a grown up there is no reason you should be making minimum wage anyways. Minimum wage is for teenagers and college kids. Hell, even if you're in college you should be making more than that.

Either way, it's like I said. $9/hour is just a general minimum wage. It would probably work for most of the midwest anyways. But yeah more expensive places like Alaska, or California, sure raise it a bit more. I don't think the minimum wage needs to be up to the cost of a "decent quality of life". It's the minimum wage. It's what you make if you absolutely don't give a fuck about the quality of your life. The vast majority of people will make a great deal more than that, probably at least 50% more.

[DrStiglit]

No idea, it's just been my experience ever since I got my degree. Lowering paying jobs I hardly ever worked more than 40 because they didn't want to pay overtime.

Maybe it's just how my company works then. There are times where I work over 40 or come in on my day off. But if I do I leave early or get comp days and take an extra day off at another time. There really needs to be better focus on quality of life in this country.

[Shadowferal]

Hmf...If I had a career I wouldn't even notice overtime.

[Docturphil]

$9 may be barely adequate in a particularly poor area of Mississippi, but not anywhere else in the USA. And in even Mississippi as a whole, the minimum living wage is about $9.80 according to MIT's model.

And this is what is meant by "minimum living wage".

OK, but an adult shouldn't be making minimum wage. I'm sorry, but if you're going to not even have the motivation to get yourself a job that is 1 tier above a McJob, then yeah that's what you get. And even if you're an adult working a McJob, you should still at least be a few bucks above minimum wage.

Maybe it would be a good idea if they changed the minimum wage for anyone who is 18 or older to be a little bit higher. But a 14 year old kid does not need to be making $12/hour. That's for damn sure.

[Deleted]

So americans work 25% more, and yet their country is still a shithole compared to pretty much any EU country? Just another proof how dumb americans are.

Infracted - Nation Bashing

[Captain N]

I really wish more companies operated like mine do...especially when it comes to rewarding efficiency.

RCO Operators are paid a basic day of about $315 for all hours worked up to 8. If the operator works through his/her lunch period and works more than 7 hours they're paid $35 extra on the day, and if they end up working even one minute past 8 hours the overtime clock starts. However many of those operators choose to leave early instead of taking the extra pay.

Basically a normal RCO Job works like this:

Job starts at 0800

Job completes all available tasks assigned by 1430

Crew stores their belongings, files any last minute paper work, and changes clothes.

Crew clocks out and goes home at 1500.

Crew makes $315 for a 7 hour day or $45/hour