this post was submitted on 04 Mar 2025
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Burger economy

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

The biggest indicator of American decline is actually how many hours of work it takes to earn one ounce of gold. In 1950- 46 hours 1956-35 hours 1968-22 hours Today- it is between 289 and 79 hours factoring in time and a half overtime. Minimum wage in America has lost between 84-93% of its value using this metric.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I like that it implies landlords aren't people

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Implying well known facts.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Heh, look at this dumb sattire. There's no way it would take simplifying the economy down to a single food item before our superior American intellect realized that our government was actually our enemy. Anyway...

Trump take egg

/s

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

The BigMac Index was actually a really good metric. It's sold nearly everywhere in the world, was a low margin product, and depends on a complex global supply chain that's a good stand-in for other supply chains. It was used as a way to cut-through governments reporting innacurate numbers.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I have a feeling that the burgers were way less shitty in the 60's, but were they as big? Theres a myth here that every normal US meal is enough food to feed someone for several days, so I wonder if size has been factored in?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Burgers used to be smaller. A quarter pounder was a big burger.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Also a big Mac costs £6.09 in england, minimum wage soon will be £12.21 = 2 big macs per hour of your labour.

I will mention that they have an app which can make it a lot cheaper and gives freebies and so on.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

explaining purchasing power collapse to an american: ~~imagine~~ experience no burger

FTFY

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

After reading this I am both poor and hungry.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 2 weeks ago

In Russia its 0.33 BM/hour

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

A Big Mac is $5.19 in my McDonald’s app. Where is this $8 Big Mac?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

Probably California but the minimum wage here for a McDonald's employee is $20 per hour. That's still more than 2 big Mac's per hour

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 weeks ago

Oh no, here's where you are wrong. See, it's a decline for the proletariat only. The bourgeoisie is doing just great.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Brazilian minimum wage: 1,528BRL per month, or roughly 6.30 reais per hour.

Big Mac price: 24 reais, or 4 hours of minimum wage work.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

BMs per hour

"I just can't stop pooping!"

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

A big mac is sure to give you multiple BM's per hour

[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

In Germany the minimum wage is 12.82€/hour. The price for a Big Mac is 4.19€

BM/Hour: 3,07

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

In Germany, they call a Big Mac a Doppelrindfleischkäsebrötchen mit Spezialsoße

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Where do you get a 4,19€ Big Mac? From what I can tell, a Big Mac here is currently 6,29€, which would place the BM/hour score at 2.04.

If you exclude sales tax (which is usually included in Germany but excluded in the US) for a fairer comparison, the Big Mac would be 5,29€ and the BM/hour score 2.42.

But also, a single Big Mac in the US seems to cost around $5.99. The $8 is for a Menu (which would put the BM/h score at 1.24 instead of 0.91).

A BM Menu in Germany is currently 11,49€ (or 9,66€ without sales tax), which would put our BM/h score at 1.11 (or 1.33 respectively).

So, the chart oop posted might be a bit misleading, since I doubt the $0.50 in 1980 was a Big Mac menu but rather a single Big Mac (although I‘m to lazy to look that up now). And also, we’re not that substantially better off in here Germany rn and a single Big Mac seems to be a comparatively better value than a menu, when compared to the US.

I’d also find comparison numbers from Germany in 1980 quite interesting but I’m also too lazy to look that up. Maybe someone else is bored enough…

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

I actually dont have a clue about McDonalds prices since i never eat there.

Ive just googled the big mac prices, may i got a wrong result.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Right now, where I live in Canada, you can buy approximate 3.5 big macs per hour on minimum wage.

Not bad, but not great either.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 weeks ago

I still think it is wild that we don't include house prices in inflation, cause it was removed to use rent to match the "average American experience" which just means they no longer expect average people to ever buy a house.

So no houses and no burgers.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Meanwhile in Denmark.

Minimum wage for McDonalds employees: 20$+supplements. Big Mac $7

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago

These big mac prices aren't accurate

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

“Big Mac” now is forever cemented as a mean gay red pony in my mind… thanks, Tamers12345

[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

The last time this showed up people pointed out that big Mac’s cost more like $1.50 in 1980. Still multiple BMs per hour but not as drastic.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago

I wasn't alive then but 50 cents seemed low for a big mac, even for the '80s

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

And a Big Mac isn't $8 around here and no one is paid federal min wage. It's $13 in Florida and $15 IRL. Using the app to save, it's probably 2.5 burgers.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Big Mac is 5.19 in the app for me.

And I don’t know if this is a good indicator of actual minimum wage, but fast food salary on average is way more than $13 an hour. Funny that Florida is right at the bottom of that list. You’d be better off in West Virginia (brand new sentence).

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/What-Is-the-Average-FAST-FOOD-Worker-Salary-by-State

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Unexpected, that's much higher than I expected for Tennessee. The manager positions at the fast food places here are on 17, yet the average fast food worker is over 17 for the state according to that

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I’m sure it varies where you live and what the restaurant is. I live near Nashville and saw some fast food places paying $19 an hour starting.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah I'm an hour south in Columbia. 50 miles each way to find a decent job

[–] [email protected] 23 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

multiple BMs per hour

This sounds drastic no matter what the number is.

I'm sorry, I had to.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 weeks ago

Plausible with that many big macs, though.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Now imagine servers on tips...

IMO some of them are just going to work for the shift meal and pinch whatever they can from the place - leftover food, toilet paper, utentils, etc.

All you can do when you're basically a slave..

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