[nine_k]

I did look, of course. High minimum wages, serious social support for unemployed or unemployable, high taxes, generally a more collectivist mindset among citizens than what we have in the US.

Additionally, the US has a very backwards system of social support, which cuts off benefits abruptly, so earning slightly more makes you suddenly quite worse off, instead of weaning you off the support smoothly as your income grows. It's literally a trap. Raising the minimum wage may trigger this for some, too, so staying at the same job at a higher hourly rate results in a lower total income than being unemployed and living entirely off benefits.

This system should be fixed first.

[ceejayoz]

> This system should be fixed first.

Hard if every proposed fix is met with "this would make even more small businesses unviable, and even more people unemployed" objections.

[nine_k]

I see. But not touching the minimum wage, and instead making the same amount of benefits provided gradually instead of having a sharp boundary (as now) would go a long way.

It won't make any businesses die; to the contrary, the people who won't take a slightly better job now would grow at work, and maybe eventually grow out of poverty entirely. Currently it's only possible by either taking a hit in income among the way, or by suddenly jumping to a much better job.