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A comment on US inflation means families are spending $709 more per month than two years ago.

Re:US inflation means families are spending $709 more per mo... by ModernMech on Sunday August 13, 2023 @03:05PM (#37113088)
Every year for the past 5 years I’ve gotten a “merit raise” which hasn’t met inflation, so I’m effectively making less than I was when I started at my job despite having 5 years more experience. My organization puts a negative value on experience, and the only way I can get an actual raise is to jump ship. The story of my generation.

Meanwhile they complain about a hiring and retention problem. Gee, I wonder why?

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Re:US inflation means families are spending $709 more per mo... by AuryGlenz on Sunday August 13, 2023 @03:31PM (#37113435)
I get a kick out of our local A&W that's had the usual "please be patient we don't have enough workers" sign up for at least a year, with another sign under it saying they're hiring starting at $10 an hour.

I wonder why they don't have enough workers when almost every other retail business around pays 50% or more than that, and it's not like their employees would have to go through a grueling tech hiring process to jump ship.

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Re:US inflation means families are spending $709 more per mo... by toomuchtodo on Sunday August 13, 2023 @03:40PM (#37113547)
Because as long as they’re still able to be in business, they’ll just keep dragging along without paying more. Scale this across the economy appropriately.

Is the customer still showing up and living with “please be patient”? Then why reduce margins by paying more?

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Re:US inflation means families are spending $709 more per mo... by the_only_law on Monday August 14, 2023 @09:42AM (#37120912)
Reminds me of when I was visiting a couple years ago, seeing commercials being run by companies desperate for skilled labor, while paying less than the local McDonald’s…
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Re:US inflation means families are spending $709 more per mo... by taway9021000 on Sunday August 13, 2023 @03:24PM (#37113353)
>> Meanwhile they complain about a hiring and retention problem.

This happens at every company because they realize most people dont leave, or so few leave that it is worth the few that leave.

You have three options

1. Leave

2. Work less given your effective pay increase. Invest the time into finding a better job and into leetcoding

3. (not ethical, but commmon) work less given your effective pay increase. invest the free time into freelance work to make up for lost pay.

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Re:US inflation means families are spending $709 more per mo... by scarface_74 on Sunday August 13, 2023 @03:55PM (#37113738)
Any reason you haven’t changed jobs? A company has at most one full review cycle to not keep up with market before I start looking.
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Re:US inflation means families are spending $709 more per mo... by derwiki on Sunday August 13, 2023 @06:36PM (#37115334)
Not OP but depending on how much job hopping you’ve done, you need a long stay on your resume so it might not be a great option.
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Re:US inflation means families are spending $709 more per mo... by scarface_74 on Sunday August 13, 2023 @07:05PM (#37115531)
5 years is more than long enough. From the statistics I’ve seen, the average tenure of a developer is around 3 years.

But by definition, if he starts interviewing and gets an offer, the company who gave him an offer doesn’t care about the length he has been at his current employer.

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Re:US inflation means families are spending $709 more per mo... by ModernMech on Monday August 14, 2023 @11:28AM (#37122183)
For me it was first because of covid. I started in Jan 2019, and by the end of my first year when I was scheduled for a raise, I didn’t get it because everyone was tightening things due to the pandemic. So I took a team player attitude and did what needed to be done to get through that period.

Covid receded, and I got an okay raise but it was still below inflation. Then inflation got crazy(er) and my rent finally went up 30%, so that’s when I started making noise about it. They gave me another raise which was higher than they gave anyone else, but still below inflation again.

So now I’m telling them I want at least 10% over what I was making in 2019 or I’m out. Already have something lined up if they try to lowball me, I’m sick of this.

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Re:US inflation means families are spending $709 more per mo... by scarface_74 on Monday August 14, 2023 @03:18PM (#37125527)
Buying a home should be near the top of anyone’s list who is concerned about their financial well being. I realize that is easier said than done. But with remote work, you’re a lot less likely to be forced to sell because of a relocation when prices aren’t good.

I don’t consider my primary residence an “investment” as much as an inflation hedge. Sure property taxes will go up as well as insurance. But usually that’s not as bad as rent.

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