Current Affairs General US politics (ie, not POTUS related)

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verreauxi said:
I recall reading that a lot of this job loss was lobbying-threats by big companies including Wal-Mart, Target, McDonalds, etc., saying that if the minimum wage went up to 15$ they would replace their human cashiers with automated checkouts. This would account for a lot of job loss. But obviously, multibillion dollar companies making these threats is not due to their razor-thin profit margins, but pure greed and maintaining steady profits. Certainly, the small business owner who operates on very razor-thin margins might have a legitimate claim about paying their workers more, but I don't think major corporations can easily make that claim.

This is what I could find in the CBO report along those lines (and this is one of many ways job loss could occur, according to the report):

"When the cost of employing low-wage workers goes up, the relative cost of employing higher-wage workers or investing in machines and technology goes down. Some employers would therefore respond to a higher minimum wage by shifting toward those substitutes and reducing their employment of low-wage workers."

And this is what I could find about lower-wage job numbers; fast food workers and cashiers would make up a sizeable chunk of job loss (assuming major companies all switched to machine tellers/checkouts).
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Go to any store today and you'll see 1, maybe 2 cashiers. They've already done that.

Most of retail is gig employment. Sure they'll give you 40 hrs during the holidays but then cut your hours to as low as 8-10hrs/week afterwards in the hopes you'll quit because they are too cheap to even lay you off (makes those unemployment insurance bills go up).
 
Rook said:
Go to any store today and you'll see 1, maybe 2 cashiers. They've already done that.

Most of retail is gig employment. Sure they'll give you 40 hrs during the holidays but then cut your hours to as low as 8-10hrs/week afterwards in the hopes you'll quit because they are too cheap to even lay you off (makes those unemployment insurance bills go up).
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And definitely keep you part time so you’re ineligible for benefits
 
I'm a bit angry that Biden, like Trump, has decided to let the Saudi Crown Prince off with state-sanctioned murder. I thought, perhaps naively, that he might opt for a different route. I guess taking money from tyrants is more important than actual justice. Shame that.
 
Bullens Rd said:
I'm a bit angry that Biden, like Trump, has decided to let the Saudi Crown Prince off with state-sanctioned murder. I thought, perhaps naively, that he might opt for a different route. I guess taking money from tyrants is more important than actual justice. Shame that.
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Biden is even more of an establishment man than Trump. I'm not surprised at all.
 
Rook said:
Go to any store today and you'll see 1, maybe 2 cashiers. They've already done that.

Most of retail is gig employment. Sure they'll give you 40 hrs during the holidays but then cut your hours to as low as 8-10hrs/week afterwards in the hopes you'll quit because they are too cheap to even lay you off (makes those unemployment insurance bills go up).
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I get the gist of your point, but there are still about >3 million full-time cashiers in the USA.
 
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