Social Costs of Wal-Mart(low wages mean gov aid-perhaps $0.4B in CA if all

[papau]

California retailers paid the Walmart standard)

Social Costs of Wal-Mart
Company workers draw $86 million a year in aid, researchers say. But the retailer says it gives jobs to people who otherwise would not be employed.
By Abigail Goldman
Times Staff Writer

August 3, 2004

Inadequate wages and benefits force workers at Wal-Mart stores in California to seek $86 million a year in state aid, according to a report released Monday by the UC Berkeley Labor Center.

Moreover, if other retailers cut their wages and benefits to the levels offered by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the cost to California's public-assistance programs would rise by $410 million annually, the study said.

In their report, Berkeley researchers Arindrajit Dube and Ken Jacobs contend that more than other retail workers, Wal-Mart employees rely on a variety of public-aid programs, including food stamps, Medicare and subsidized housing.

"In effect, Wal-Mart is shifting part of its labor costs onto the public," the researchers wrote. "Wal-Mart's long-term impact on compensation in the retail industry has the potential to place a significant strain on the state's already heavily burdened social safety net."<snip>

[mopinko]

1. the gop solution-

change the eligibilty for these programs so that wal-mart employees, and anyone else making minimum wage and working 35 hours a week, no longer qualifies. problem solved the gop way!!

[BeyondGeography]

2. Link?

This is extremely interesting. I'd like to zap it out to my network of pissed off friends.

Thanks either way, Papau.

[papau]

3. Link below - I thought I had it in there :-(

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-walmart3aug03.story


latimes.com/business/la-fi-walmart3aug03.story

[BeyondGeography]

7. Came back for it; many thanks

[Bowline]

4. Simple solution...

Don't work for Wal-Mart. If they have a hard enough time getting people to work for them they'll be forced to raise wages to attract more people.

[idlisambar]

5. If only it were that simple

The typical Wal-Mart associate is not in a position to be too choosy with respect their employer. Some work, no matter how undesirable, is better than no work. An employer like Wal-Mart or McDonalds counts on a healthy sized underclass that has no other place to go, and in fact the wages they pay help to perpetuate this underclass.

[Bowline]

6. I agree with your point about a large underclass.

Part of the reason so many people remain in the underclass is lack of education. I see it every day. High school graduates who lack the basic skills to balance a check book or fill out a job application. It seems that ignorance is cool these days. Someone who strives to learn and advance themselves is looked down upon by the "cool" people.

[Nadienne]

8. And *that* situation might only get worse.

How can "no child left behind" test students about such things?

[Lefty48197]

9. About 2% of USA's uninsured are Walmart employees.

.