Complex issues associated with paying workers a living wage:
The NYTIMES piece notes:
“On a recent
afternoon, Hampus Elofsson ended his 40-hour workweek at a Burger King and
prepared for a movie and beer with friends. He had paid his rent and all his
bills, stashed away some savings, yet still had money for nights out.
That is because he
earns the equivalent of $20 an hour — the base wage for fast-food workers
throughout Denmark and two and a half times what many fast-food workers earn in
the United States
…
Many American
economists and business groups say the comparison is deeply flawed because of
fundamental differences between Denmark and the United States, including
Denmark’s high living costs and taxes, a generous social safety net that
includes universal health care and a collective bargaining system in which
employer associations and unions work together. The fast-food restaurants here
are also less profitable than their American counterparts”.