Hola César,

That graph, in my opinion gives little to discuss in detail, I think, precisely because of spoons or sophisticated machinery, genuine or invented jobs and so on.

After many years calling ports of different countries, I learnt that any parameter taken isolated from the rest of the local circumstances could lead to wrong conclusions in no time.

I used to ask: what is the minimum salary by law? Later, I learnt to add: and how many people is getting paid that minimum?

Once, crossing to Japan, we had to call Tahiti to replenish bunkers and we spent just few hours ashore. Everybody was shocked by the high salaries paid even for the simplest jobs. Impressive ones, really. Later, when we learnt that everything had to be imported, making for astronomic prices and the illusion vanished.

Even the typical comparison with a Coke or a Big Mac in every country is a doubtful parameter. The BM, locally, was installed in the market as an expensive thing when they started more than 30 years ago. Not what I saw in the original country.

For the same type of vessel, I've met some with maybe no more than 18 crew members while in another of a different nationality there were more than 30!

BTW, have to admit that those with smaller crew have a much better performance, I would say, always.

 

I'm not entirely sure how valid this is but according to the McDonalds Index. Our McDs hamburgers were the most expensive ones compared to income. Which made them have to close their shops here in 2010?

Plus they were skinny compared to the burgers you could get at the kiosks for not so much more money. And soda +fries included.

American style and Domino's are pretty much the only USA fast food companies that have manage to live in our economical environment. For more than 3 years there is.

 

My wife and I go around on this subject all the time about who works the most hours and whose work is of the greatest value and so forth.

To me if I enjoy the job the hours and pay are highly secondary whereas my wife's sees it differntly which means that no matter how I view my work it will be seen as secondary to hers regardless of if my job pays more has more hours and I enjoy my work just for the sake of being there most days.

BTW I loved my last job, made about $1 an hour more than her and put in ~180 hours (4000+ hours a year) on a typical paycheck. Still that didn't make my work hours and pay 'respectable' by her standards.

 

This is something that I've long suspected, and that I have now confirmed. Look at the graph at the bottom of this article:

View attachment 94035​

P.S: My intent is to show a comparison of working habits of different countries, and confront stereotypes. I DO NOT want to discuss politics.

It's mostly a question of economics and policy. When a country's minimum wave is $5 per day (70 pesos), and there is no clear definition of a 'day', and people risk losing their job if they don't work the whole 'day', then the number of hours worked per week can grow.

Now compare to Germany here they have unions covering every employee (including scientists and engineers) up to director level, and policies limiting the number of work hours to minimize unemployment. Also, salaries in Germany are much higher and paid on an hourly rate with overtime.

So, in my opinion, the stereotypes are not justified and survival and policy drives working hours more than anything. That is, if it takes 2200 hours a year to feed and shelter your family, you work 2200 hours per year. Unfortunately, the numbers listed are averages, for every person that works less than 2200 hours in Mexico, there is another that works more. As mentioned above, education, automation, policy and corruption all play a role in the types of work available in a country and the types of companies, and even manager's actions at those companies.

 

Some years earlier, the US led this measure. Recession reduced the number of hours worked, and it never completely recovered. Because of automation, work will decline even further in developed countries until most will not be working.

 

That's a view commonly held by millennials. Us older folks have lived through better times and are more optimistic, and don't buy in to the "new normal" argument being promulgated by leftists in the administration. We know what a good economy looks like and look forward to seeing it again soon once the naysayers are out of the way. There's a lot of work that needs to get done in this country that isn't automated.

 

Yeah, I remember when all those millennial leftists in the Bush administration were saying exactly the same thing.

 

Yeah, I remember when all those millennial leftists in the Bush administration were saying exactly the same thing.

Unfortunately, 7 years later, a masters in 'gender studies' and the like is still not worth the paper it is printed on. At least the basement is provided rent free.

 

At least the basement is provided rent free.

Must be love ... or maybe stupidity. I'm going with stupidity on the part of the parents.