I had the fun idea to tie minimum wage to real estate in the area. Take the national average rent for an apartment for a family of x people. If the regional average rent is 10% lower the minimum wage can be 10% lowered as well. If the average rent is 100% higher the minimum wage can be cranked up by 100%.
It would create problems for poor companies that will have to make room for more effective entrepreneurs. At the same time it would create new opportunities in areas normally not considered.
Well, in cambridge, i got kicked out of 2 flats in6 years because they wanted to raise rents, each time, i had to move further out, get a smaller place and still had to pay more money each time, i wasn’t getting pay rise in line with this and i think that’s still the reality across much of the uk, house prices and rents are rising higher than wages.
I also noted across this time that younger people apparently like staying in more and the selfish gits are spending less money on other things and somehow that’s their failing.
I didn’t have my rent raised in ten years here, in fact, as interest rates went down, i would have been well within my rights to demand a decrease. Also, bars, restaurant and clubs seem much more vibrant here than when i was in the uk, as if younger people had a bit more disposable income that flows in the local economy