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A comment on Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds. Parent comment

Re:Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds by coldtea on Tuesday October 18, 2016 @10:47AM (#12734914)
>How happy are they working that extra 25%? They are richer, sure. But I don't think being rich is an indicator of your overall state.

They aren't that richer either -- if anything the majority is less rich in standard of living than most western European and nordic countries. Getting some more money in your salary is not worth much if you have to give most of it to medical coverage and basic services.

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Re:Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds by friendlygrammar on Tuesday October 18, 2016 @10:52AM (#12734967)
GDP per capita in the US is more than 25% greater than Europe.
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Re:Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds by billmalarky on Tuesday October 18, 2016 @11:29AM (#12735413)
And how is that GDP distributed again?
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Re:Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds by ryandrake on Tuesday October 18, 2016 @11:03AM (#12735113)
Which has what to do with standard of living?
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Re:Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds by friendlygrammar on Tuesday October 18, 2016 @11:04AM (#12735123)
Actually, standard of living is pretty heavily tied with gdp per capita, but I'm pretty sure we are talking about which country is richer not standard of living.
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Re:Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds by jacquesm on Tuesday October 18, 2016 @11:10AM (#12735195)
Only if the GDP is spread out equally. Income in-equality is a fine way to mask poverty in spite of a huge GDP.
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Re:Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds by e12e on Tuesday October 18, 2016 @11:32AM (#12735439)
How so? If you take a "cake" of 100 units, let 99 people share 1, and give 1 to 1 person. Then most people have 1/99 units. If your cake is 85, and you give everyone an equal share, everyone has a 85/99 units. Now, the situation in Europe is probably more like having 2 people split 60 units out of 85 - but that still leaves "the rest" way a head of those that only get 1/99...
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Re:Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds by ionised on Thursday October 20, 2016 @10:09AM (#12752284)
GDP is heavily skewed towards the wealthy and big business.

It's borderline useless for determining the wellbeing of the average worker.

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Re:Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds by pc86 on Tuesday October 18, 2016 @11:05AM (#12735130)
> the majority is less rich in standard of living than most western European and nordic countries

Blatantly false (see the other comment re: GDP). With a few exceptions[0], the US is very close to the top in terms of overall standard of living.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nomi...

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Re:Americans Work 25% More Than Europeans, Study Finds by coldtea on Wednesday October 19, 2016 @05:08AM (#12742261)
First of all, GDP and GDP per capita != standard of living.

Even regarding GDP per capita, most the "few exceptions" you mention that trump the US are western European and nordic countries with the exception of #4 Qatar.

  1      Luxembourg	102,717
  2	 Switzerland	80,603
  3	 Norway	74,598
  5	 Ireland	61,206

  6	 United States	56,084 <---

  7	 Singapore	52,888
  8	 Denmark	52,139
  9	 Australia	51,181
  10	 Iceland	50,277
  11	 Sweden	        50,050
And don't think that a 10% change in GDP per capita (like e.g. from USA to Sweden) means much in terms of standards of living -- there's the distribution of this GDP, the organization of everyday life, work standards, state services, etc.
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