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| Pemalite said:
All in all, those who are on the minimum wage can live comfortable and happy lives in Australia, even if you have children, the same thing can't be said about the US for allot of families on the minimum wage working a single job. |
For now I won't address the rest of the post (if I ever do.) But I would like to say that minimum wage jobs also tend to be part-time jobs. I can't think of a full-time career/job that pays a minimum wage. That is the main reason why one can't survive on a minimum wage job. 7.25/hr for only 20 hours/week is not livable, unless one makes big sacrifices (although I'm sure it is possible when combined with food stamps and subsidized housing, or even without those.) 7.25/hr with full-time benefits for 40 hours a week would see much more bearable for somebody on their own. That is about the stipdend of a graduate student.
As for the Human Development Index, Australia isn't very far ahead when one doesn't consider "economic inequality" (IHDI.) The overwhelming majority of U.S states surpass Australia's states (and Australia's average.) Because there is so much variation; however, we see a slight difference.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index
2. 
Australia 0.938 (
)
3.
United States 0.937 (
1)
