Current Events > In 1975, average grocery store clerk was earning the equivalent of $29 an hour

(+) Yeah! (+)

1975, the average grocery store clerk was earning the equivalent of $29 an hour, or about $58,000 a year.
(Edit to fix the link: https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/files/docs/publications/bls/bls_1925_1976.pdf)
From the article:
"Full-time grocery clerks, numerically the largest occupation, averaged $5.33 [an hour]"
$5.33 an hour in 1975 is the equivalent of $29 an hour in 2022.
https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/
And it was a stable, unionized job with health insurance and a pension.

Sauce
https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/10nczjx/comment/j68zm3e/

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/6/8/AAEhCpAAEIfo.jpg
unexpected item in bagging area

This means your white collar job is barely paying you more than a clerk at a grocer in 1975

Double this is about $120k
Except they had better benefits than you do

okay

the more people bring out these arguments the more sure i become that money just doesn't work like that.

MedeaLysistrata posted...

the more people bring out these arguments the more sure i become that money just doesn't work like that.

Go here
https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

Type in $5.33

now shut the fuck up

WingsOfGood posted...

Go here
https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/

Type in $5.33

now shut the fuck up

the median rent in 1975 was apparently 211 dollars, so how long would you have to work to pay a month's rent?

MedeaLysistrata posted...

the median rent in 1975 was apparently 211 dollars, so how long would you have to work to pay a month's rent?

https://ipropertymanagement.com/research/average-rent-by-year

that would be 1 week to pay your rent

Anymore questions?

Lol loves these apples-to-oranges comparisons of income in this year vs that year from all these people with liberal arts degrees drowning in student debt

saffronne posted...

Lol loves these apples-to-oranges comparisons of income in this year vs that year from all these people with liberal arts degrees drowning in student debt

you are making less than a cashier from 1975

how is whatever degree or whatever working out for you?

sad
@saffronne

they bought a house, 2 cars and had 4 kids
what you got?

WingsOfGood posted...

https://ipropertymanagement.com/research/average-rent-by-year

that would be 1 week to pay your rent

Anymore questions?

idk. it just makes no sense to me. i don't get why greedy people are being greedy and i'm being told about it.

MedeaLysistrata posted...

idk. it just makes no sense to me.

are you a boomer?

boomers don't seem to grasp inflation

younger people do get it especially when they buy same thing today they bought in 2019 and it nearly doubled in price

WingsOfGood posted...

are you a boomer?

boomers don't seem to grasp inflation

younger people do get it especially when they buy same thing today they bought in 2019 and it nearly doubled in price

in this specific case it's more like price gouging than inflation

WingsOfGood posted...

are you a boomer?

boomers don't seem to grasp inflation

younger people do get it especially when they buy same thing today they bought in 2019 and it nearly doubled in price

i get that the cost of things goes up, but if you understand that then what is your fucking point? the cost of things has gone up. there is even more than one reason for this.

to me, what you do, is you start a game and get to the logo and then reset it and present the logo.. over and over... "this is... LABOUR STRUGGLE" and then you make a new topic which presents the exact the same premise and doesn't move the discourse forward at all

also, i do think it's ridiculous that something like 50k isn't the base pay for everyone in countries like the US.

but i'm sure you're an expert in hitting multiple beats at once and transforming it into something amazing when you get in the zone and use your creativity to argue against naysayers

MedeaLysistrata posted...

i get that the cost of things goes up, but if you understand that then what is your fucking point? the cost of things has gone up. there is even more than one reason for this.

to me, what you do, is you start a game and get to the logo and then reset it and present the logo.. over and over... "this is... LABOUR STRUGGLE" and then you make a new topic which presents the exact the same premise and doesn't move the discourse forward at all

also, i do think it's ridiculous that something like 50k isn't the base pay for everyone in countries like the US.

inflation calculator shows the buying power of $5.33 in 1975 and equates that buying power to 2023

it isn't just costs go up

like, if you don't understand this you can read about it but going "this is obviously made up! people back then didn't have more buying power! blah blah"
that is a pretty stupid take

you even provided your own example, rent was a whole lot cheaper such that 40 hour a week at $5.33 you could pay it easily in one week or less

can you do that today?

WingsOfGood posted...

https://ipropertymanagement.com/research/average-rent-by-year

that would be 1 week to pay your rent

Anymore questions?

You forgot to include taxes in on that. Also, if they had company-wide insurance. You are looking at $925-975.

MedeaLysistrata posted...

but i'm sure you're an expert in hitting multiple beats at once and transforming it into something amazing when you get in the zone and use your creativity to argue against naysayers

I shared someone else's post who is using a calculator created by someone else

these are KNOWN things and you are literally the one who is like "oh I don't buy it!"

like holy moly

MedeaLysistrata posted... but i'm sure you're an expert in hitting multiple beats at once and transforming it into something amazing when you get in the zone and use your creativity to argue against naysayers

I didn't make the website. go lookup the experts they agree with these takes you are claiming are made up

or how about it do it fucking for you

https://theintercept.com/2021/03/05/minimum-wage-raise-15/

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/07/for-most-us-workers-real-wages-have-barely-budged-for-decades/

the experts are where this comes from not people like me

HOLY MOLY

maybe you just upset to know a clerk in 1975 made more money than you do today?

use that anger productively rather than be in denial

WingsOfGood posted...

maybe you just upset to know a clerk in 1975 made more money than you do today?

use that anger productively rather than be in denial

Is this projection?

Baha05 posted...

Is this projection?

it is for you?

WingsOfGood posted...

it is for you?

I mean you are the one that seems angry here?

WingsOfGood posted...

inflation calculator shows the buying power of $5.33 in 1975 and equates that buying power to 2023

it isn't just costs go up

like, if you don't understand this you can read about it but going "this is obviously made up! people back then didn't have more buying power! blah blah"
that is a pretty stupid take

you even provided your own example, rent was a whole lot cheaper such that 40 hour a week at $5.33 you could pay it easily in one week or less

can you do that today?

In 2016 I could, yes. But I was living with roommates and it sucked, which I imagine was the unfavorable situation for many people back then as well. Wages for the job I'd be doing have gone up around 2 dollars since then and if I just rent a room it would be cheap enough.

It's not actually worth it, but yeah.

The number of jobs that pay more than 58k have gone up as well, you can't really ignore that. It just boils down to technology and what people value. Cashiering hasn't developed much since before self checkout so why would it's cost go up

Oh my bad

Baha05 posted...

I mean you are the one that seems angry here?

https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/10nczjx/comment/j6a8uor/

WingsOfGood posted...

https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/10nczjx/comment/j6a8uor/

Which changes what a out this topic or your attitude?

What happened?

MedeaLysistrata posted...

In 2016 I could, yes. But I was living with roommates and it sucked, which I imagine was the unfavorable situation for many people back then as well. Wages for the job I'd be doing have gone up around 2 dollars since then and if I just rent a room it would be cheap enough.

It's not actually worth it, but yeah.

The number of jobs that pay more than 58k have gone up as well, you can't really ignore that. It just boils down to technology and what people value. Cashiering hasn't developed much since before self checkout so why would it's cost go up

Oh my bad

so your metric for today is that if you make just barely above a grocery clerk in 1975 then you are doing good and should be happy and not complain?

oh sweet summer child argument

https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/10nczjx/comment/j6abl6s

I worked part time at a grocery store in 2006 when I was in college.
Everyone who worked there pre-1995 owned their own homes, had full health benefits, a pension, and even back then were making literally $20+ dollars an hour.
When I was there, I had two roommates who also worked there. They actually ended up staying, after we all graduated? The people who worked there were very social and it was almost like its own community. Anyway, theyre both struggling now. They never went over $13 an hour after the union was gutted. They have horrible healthcare and with cost of living (and still renting) theyre really struggling.
Whenever I think about I it feels so eery. Like 2006 was the year at that store where everything changed and people who made a living wage and were set for retirement worked alongside colleagues who found it hard and harder to make ends meet.

Did you use your small raise to buy a house like the grocer cashier in 1975 already owned?

Kinda odd you used RENT to compare when they literally would just buy a fucking house.

WingsOfGood posted...

so your metric for today is that if you make just barely above a grocery clerk in 1975 then you are doing good and should be happy and not complain?

Everyone has a right to complain about their wage.

What's wrong with making barely above a grocery clerk? You too good for grocery clerks?

MedeaLysistrata posted...

Everyone has a right to complain about their wage.

What's wrong with making barely above a grocery clerk? You too good for grocery clerks?

are you complaining about it?

you said:

MedeaLysistrata posted...

The number of jobs that pay more than 58k have gone up as well, you can't really ignore that. It just boils down to technology and what people value. Cashiering hasn't developed much since before self checkout so why would it's cost go up

Oh my bad

Sounds more like comfort than complaint.

MedeaLysistrata posted...

Everyone has a right to complain about their wage.

What's wrong with making barely above a grocery clerk? You too good for grocery clerks?

Everyone should be making at least $40/hr now then. We shouldn't be poorer than we were 50 years ago.

I'm sure corporate profits and executive pay haven't been cut in half over the last 50 years.

but you did also ask, what is wrong with just barely making above what they did back then

well the problem is you cannot buy a house and feed 4 kids like they did can you?

yes?
no?

WingsOfGood posted...

are you complaining about it?

you said:

Sounds more like comfort than complaint.

I'd be fine making 58k. I have never made that much.

hockeybub89 posted...

We shouldn't be poorer than we were 50 years ago.

Actually since we've used up a ton of resources since inventing plastic and etc, we absolutely should be poorer.

Infinite growth is an insane myth.

how about this: 99.99999% of people who ever lived throughout history were absolutely destitute, and the relative prosperity of post-WW2 US economy was a severe anomaly that was built on the destruction of the rest of the globe's industrial base and was never going to last

MedeaLysistrata posted...

I'd be fine making 58k. I have never made that much.

so I hit the nail on the head:

WingsOfGood posted...

maybe you just upset to know a clerk in 1975 made more money than you do today?

use that anger productively rather than be in denial

You shouldn't try to bend reality to spare yourself. And no I am not trying to be mean you are the one who came into this thread to act like this is made up and not reality.

saffronne posted...

how about this: 99.99999% of people who ever lived throughout history were absolutely destitute, and the relative prosperity of post-WW2 US economy was a severe anomaly that was built on the destruction of the rest of the globe's industrial base and was never going to last

"there were slaves in ancient mesopotamia before Christ so you should shut up and be glad you get anything while I have record profits of billions!"

am I doing it right?

WingsOfGood posted...

so I hit the nail on the head:

You shouldn't try to bend reality to spare yourself. Am no I am not trying to be mean you are the one who came into this thread to act like this is made up and not reality.

My dude, clerk is pretty much the tier of labour that I'm in and people wanting to make more than a clerk is why it pays so low.

MedeaLysistrata posted...

My dude, clerk is pretty much the tier of labour that I'm in and people wanting to make more than a clerk is why it pays so low.

what this thread is saying is a clerk should make today what it did back then

understood? also the average job, whatever it is should as well as clerk was only looked at because it was the average job (as in job most amercians were doing)

And the late 70s gas was like 70 cents a gallon. A car was $5,000 and a House was around $17,000.

It was also less than 50 cents for a pack of cigarettes.

fyi the average job today would be like the dude at best buy you talk to

The top three most common jobs in America are retail sales representatives, office clerks, and registered nurses. Some of the most common jobs in America only require a high school diploma or GED, while others require at least a bachelor's degree.Sep 6, 2022

https://www.zippia.com/advice/the-most-common-jobs-in-america/

Retail Sales Representative
Average Annual Salary: $30,824
Number of Retail Salespeople in the US: 4,633,100

Office Clerk
Average Annual Salary: $27,617
Number of Office Clerks in the US: 3,126,300

Registered Nurse
Average Annual Salary: $63,827
Number of Registered Nurses in the US: 3,096,700

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/most-common-jobs-in-america

1. Cashier
National average salary:$29,297 per year
Primary duties: A cashier works in a retail environment and processes transactions for a customer's purchase. Cashiers assist customers in finding products they're searching for and bag grocery items for customers.
Read more: Learn About Being a Cashier
2. Food preparation worker
National average salary:$31,542 per year
Primary duties: A food preparation worker cleans the kitchen area at restaurants. They weigh, measure and cut ingredients required for meals on the restaurant's menu. Food preparation workers monitor the temperature of food storage areas and restock the restaurant's salad bar.
Related: How To Become a Food Prep Worker

3. Stocking associate
National average salary:$36,501 per year
Primary duties: A stocking associate, or stock clerk, unpacks merchandise once it arrives at the warehouse. They check the merchandise for accurate labeling and any damage during shipping. They make updates to inventory records to see if the warehouse needs more units of a product.
Read more: Learn About Being a Stocker

4. Laborer
National average salary:$39,539 per year
Primary duties: A laborer works at a construction site and finds efficient ways for completing physical tasks. They assist with cleaning and moving debris and help load and unload materials. They review construction plans to find practical ways to finish tasks.
Read more: Learn About Being a Laborer
5. Janitor
National average salary:$39,584 per yearPrimary duties: A janitor cleans the space they're working in such as a bathroom or hallway. They lock doors, take out garbage and recycling and make repairs to toilets and appliances.

Doesn't look like they are making similar to those people in 1975

that is the issue

people are always gonna be mostly broke until they topple the status quo that puts the wealthy in charge of everything

only way things will change

the other point you can draw from this was how in 1975 you didn't need college or specialized skill to live life

you could work at the grocer and have a fulfilling life (as in could support kids if you wanted without worry; not saying that is only fulfilling life just saying it was an actual option as many today it is not)

and boomers not understanding how today is not like then is why they act like it is so easy today when it is quite the opposite

by understanding that these issues exist, it changes your mind about the fight for a living wage and UBI and all that

WingsOfGood posted...

what this thread is saying is a clerk should make today what it did back then

understood? also the average job, whatever it is should as well as clerk was only looked at because it was the average job (as in job most amercians were doing)

Did you miss the part where I said I think 50k should be a base salary?

MedeaLysistrata posted...

Did you miss the part where I said I think 50k should be a base salary?

but why?

because you have to believe inflation and all that is actually real and money does work like that

WingsOfGood posted...

Sauce
https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/10nczjx/comment/j68zm3e/

Wow, the US used to be great.

I wonder if theres a way to make it great again.

saffronne posted...

how about this: 99.99999% of people who ever lived throughout history were absolutely destitute, and the relative prosperity of post-WW2 US economy was a severe anomaly that was built on the destruction of the rest of the globe's industrial base and was never going to last

while the second part of this post is bang-on (at least within a capitalist framework), the first part of it is extremely incorrect and, frankly, ahistorical

MedeaLysistrata posted...

the more people bring out these arguments the more sure i become that money just doesn't work like that.

it does.

a single income had to suffice for an entire household

WingsOfGood posted...

inflation calculator shows the buying power of $5.33 in 1975 and equates that buying power to 2023

it isn't just costs go up

like, if you don't understand this you can read about it but going "this is obviously made up! people back then didn't have more buying power! blah blah"
that is a pretty stupid take

you even provided your own example, rent was a whole lot cheaper such that 40 hour a week at $5.33 you could pay it easily in one week or less

can you do that today?

It takes me about 4 work days to pay my share of the rent, internet, gas and electric. Now if I lived here by myself it would be about 13 work days to pay all the bills which would suck and I'd move into a cheaper place.

the_pika posted...

it does.

a single income had to suffice for an entire household

not everyone is or was married with kids