zlacker

Has anyone ever calculated the maximum possible wage for a job? Take strawberry picking for an example. If run by a non-profit, what is the highest possible wage? Would be interesting to see this relative to the actual wage.

>>beamat+(OP)
http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-fi-farms-immigration/

>>beamat+(OP)
The entire farming industry is distorted. It's much more subsidized and controlled than most industries. For instance we literally pay some farmers not to grow food. And at times when harvests are high the government will prevent farmers from marketing some portion of their harvest which, in extreme cases, can mean that food simply ends up getting destroyed. It's all about extreme manipulation of supply to try to control prices.

I'm not really supporting or opposing the system, which is a topic for another place, but just mentioning that farming is not like people think it is. So trying to determine what 'market wages' would be like is not really possible when much of the entire industry is operated outside the bounds of the market.

>>beamat+(OP)
I think it would fluctuate depending on the prices of strawberries. And if you spent all your money giving out the maximum possible wage and your crops failed you’d go out of business because you weren’t able to save money.

>>TangoT+Y1
> For instance we literally pay some farmers not to grow food. And at times when harvests are high the government will prevent farmers from marketing some portion of their harvest which, in extreme cases, can mean that food simply ends up getting destroyed

Wait, so they are intentionally keeping food prices higher by paying people to not grow food? I mean, I understand that we need farmers and dipping food price markets isn't ideal, but... wow... what a world.

>>wincy+m3
Exactly. This cannot work without forcing a whole range of products a LOT more expensive than they are.

That's a feature, not a bug.

But yes, the rest of society will become a LOT "poorer" (but still comfortable) for no more than a decent increase in the living standard of the working poor.

>>candio+F7
Isn't that just going to plummet the demand for strawberries, thus completely wiping out those jobs?

>>toofy+R6
It's most likely from the Grand Depression, when farmers were literally throwing away food because of over production. Subsidies smooth out production cycles and keep farmers in business.

>>oblio+Ec
If this is being done across the board, that won't be a problem.

>>wincy+m3
What I meant instead is if you divide up the profits per worker-hour, how much of a multiple would it be. 2x, 10x, etc.