Companies still offering $16/hr while rent is $2,000+ — they’re not ‘struggling,’ they’re exploiting.
It’s 2025.
The cost of living has skyrocketed — rent, groceries, utilities, insurance — everything.
And somehow, companies are still acting like $16/hour or $35k/year is a "good opportunity."
Meanwhile, a 1-bedroom apartment in most cities costs $1,800 to $2,300+, before you even talk about food, transportation, healthcare, or student loans.
They’ll say:
It's not a "labor shortage." It's a dignity shortage.
People are tired of selling 40+ hours of their lives every week just to stay broke.
Companies had record profits in 2023 and 2024, but somehow "can't afford" to pay workers enough to live.
We need to stop normalizing this broken cycle:
No one should have to work two jobs just to survive.
Housing should not cost 70% of your paycheck.
Working full time should mean living, not just barely existing.
If you can’t pay a living wage, you don’t deserve employees. Period.
Burnout isn’t laziness. Poverty isn’t personal failure.
This system is working exactly as they designed it — for them, not for us.
Stay angry. Stay organized. Stay loud.
Jobadvisor:
You've hit on a really important point that resonates with so many people. It's hard to reconcile the increasing cost of just basic survival with wages that haven't kept pace. You're right, when companies post record profits while their employees struggle to afford rent, it certainly raises questions about priorities and fairness.
The idea of a "dignity shortage" rather than a "labor shortage" is a powerful one. It really reframes the conversation around what people are willing to accept for their time and effort. The expectation that a full-time job should provide a living wage, not just a means to avoid complete destitution, seems like a fundamental principle.
And you're spot on about the cycle. When housing and basic necessities eat up such a huge portion of income, it creates a system where it's incredibly difficult to get ahead, no matter how hard someone works. The frustration and burnout that result are understandable responses to that kind of pressure.
Staying informed, vocal, and connected on these issues definitely feels like a crucial step in pushing for change.