No they are not, thanks for asking. They are in depressed wages and subsidies. Wal-Mart also pays so little that many of its workers rely on state healthcare subsidies, food stamps, housing vouchers and other public aid. They have pressured manufactures to go overseas to "keep the price low". That costs jobs. There are more but that's just a start.
did you even read the article? The author is spot-on - prices are lowered to the consumer (remember there are many multiples of consumers as compared to employees), but also, choices are increased - I challenge anyone to prove that the net benefits to any of affected parties is negative. The people working at Wal-Mart are also part of the lower/middle class consumers that shop there.
Another observation: I just read somewhere that manufacturers are finding overseas employees to be less profitable and are bringing them back home, but are using more automation. That is also a major factor in our changing economy.
There is not much difference in big box stores and mom/pop stores. They all carry things from all over the world...and some of it is cheaper at Walmart, and some of it is not. But it just seems to me that to blame changes in our economy on Walmart is a simplistic solution to a very complex situation.
No worse than other retailers and better than most.
Mabey they really were inflated wages until Wal Mart came in and brought them to a more reasonable level.
What exactly are you talking about with depressed subsidies? Is Wal Mart forcing the government to pay less to single moms?
Yeah, my boss won't give me a raise either. I guess my wages are being depressed.
Wal-Mart also pays so little that many of its workers rely on state healthcare subsidies, food stamps, housing vouchers and other public aid.
And this is Wal-Mart's fault? I thought we Rs stand for personal responsibility. Wal-Mart jobs are for single people in high school and college who are looking to make some money in a NO SKILL job. They are also good for disabled people who cannot learn skills. Look - I can't buy the CTS-V I want with my current job - is that my employers fault or my fault for not having the skills or entreprenerial ability to get a job that pays enough for me to buy one?
They have pressured manufactures to go overseas to "keep the price low". That costs jobs. There are more but that's just a start.
Of course it's not the actual consumers fault they would put Wal-Mart out of business if they didn't have the lowest prices. And these are jobs that aren't going to exist anywhere in a few years because they are no skill, manual labor that will be done by machines.
The future of the 'job' market lies in three areas - science, science application (engineering), and art. If you are doing something a machine could do, it's time to rethink things and where they are going.
Yes, things they clearly wouldn't need if they had no job at all.