Australia - the land of long hours and low pay !!!!!

[cannon fodder]

27 August 2003
According to the OECD, Australians now work the longest hours in the rich-world. Even more than the Japanese. So we must be earning more than the others, right? Wrong.
In presenting the figures, the Economist says: "The gap in work effort is now the single biggest reason why GDP per head is lower in the European Union than in the United States."
Well, Australians have American working hours and European incomes. When given a choice between working harder or working smarter, it seems we'll choose the former every time.
Those who've worked in Europe or the US have long known that Australia is the land of the pathetic salary, but thought the laid-back lifestyle compensated. The OECD's figures shatter that myth.
Let's compare our performance to that of some other countries. I'll use GDP per capita to measure income, a widely used measure. Before you start objecting that our dollar is low and our price of living cheaper, the figures are Purchasing Power Parity adjusted, which means they take currency fluctuations and cost of living into account.
The raw figures are given in brackets. Amounts are in US$ and taken from the Economist Intelligence Unit.
· Australians work on average 1,890 hours a year for a GDP per capita of $26,560 ($20,350)
· The Americans do 1,850 hours a year for $36,406 ($36,406)
· The Japanese do 1,880 hours a year for $26,857 ($31,408). This is after 14 years of sub-par economic performance
· The British do 1,700 hours a year for $26,207 ($26,002)
· The French do 1,560 hours a year for $26,805 ($24,014)
· The Dutch do 1,330 hours a year for $26,065

To put that last figure into perspective, the Dutch are doing 14 weeks less work than us a year for the same income - 14 weeks!
I never realised things had got as bad as they have.
For all the government's chest-thumping about our economic performance, we're having to work much harder than anyone else just to keep up. And this from a country rich in natural resources, with world-famous tourist attractions and one of the best-educated workforces in the world.
We were the richest people on the planet for large chunks of the twentieth century, but the last 30 years have seen us eroding our way down the league table. If we'd been involved in a major war, political upheaval or natural disaster, I could almost understand, but we have no such excuse.
We work 20% more hours than most Europeans for the same income and slightly more than Americans for only 75% of their income. We are now the poor cousins of the rich world.
It's a pathetic performance and our politicians and business leaders should be ashamed

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

I can definately relate to the looooooooooooooong hours etc atm........

:twisted:

[punk_bcr]

if i could be bothered to read and understand all that i wouldnt be stupid i think :?

[cannon fodder]

u aint stupid..........lazy perhaps !

:twisted:

[Yoda]

Where did you get this from?

And I like how it refers to only the "rich world", what about those who are practically slaves working for near nothing?

I'd like to see those figures. I'd like to see someone make as big a deal about it as they would about this too.

[cannon fodder]

1. OECD, from the information they release regularly in reports every couple of months. The comparisson is made just on them.

2. This is just for the "Developed countries" ie Capitalistic modern Industrialised economies.

3. Undeveloped Countries have there own sorrow's . :cry:

In a nutshell....suck it up ppl....
Facts are facts , If you are starting out in the working world in whatever occupation...get a green card and go to the USA........

:twisted:

[Yoda]

I was kinda after a url or something colin, but yeah. Quite frankly I think it'd be more interesting if they included the under developed countries.

And I kinda plan to move anyway. :)

[neonblack]

you heard the man

SUCK IT UP

:D

[GreatHornedDragon]

Well, there is a way around this... the internet.

Markets for just about anything are larger in practically ANY major country other than Australia. And with the internet, you can reach these larger markets, make the profit out of them and work from your comfy, laid back home sitting in one of the most amazing countries in the world.

If you ask me, this is the best way to make your money. The global market, unhindered by geographical location (but there are other concerns, ie. language). You just have to find the right product :D

[eza]

The EWFA (Eithipian work force association) has informed me with these figures hereunder;
24 Hours a day, 7 days a week 365 days a year every 4 years they work 366. raw fugre is 0.0001 dollars....im not sure what this is in $US but they should be ashamed :P
:fro:

[Yoda]

...

Anyway.

[cpd]

raw fugre is 0.0001 dollars
I feel stupider for having read that.

[cannon fodder]

looking at this from a purely social standpoint....

We currently have an unemployment rate in excess of 6.5% (that figure does not include the ones that are in Govt sponsored "work for the dole" programs) . Logically thinking if the same amount of work hours needed to be performed, and if people already employed work the standard 38hr week (award based set in mid 90's) then what would happen? Simple more unemployed people would have to be hired . Thereby reducing the welfare cost to the economy by 1 , not paying cenetrlink benefits & 2 Receiving tax on these newly employed peoples wages and 3 as more people are employed and have more disposable income, they tend to spend more as a whole. Thereby increasing the profits of business and raising more taxes in that respect. Also as a buy product of increased spending normally more jobs are created.

Looking at the fact that increased working hours leads to increase in stress & ill health in a large number of circumstances , by going back to 38hr weeks perhaps/more than likely the health system would be under less strain than what it currently is .

Looking also at the fact that we have one of the highest divorce rates amongst the "developed world" in this country , perhaps the simple fact of reducing work related stress and having more "social" time might lead to a reduction in the "social" cost of marriage breakdown by going back to the 38hr week.

Our Standard of living as a nation is slipping, has anyone noticed the almost 100% price increase on basic items such as milk bread etc over the last 3-4 years? Let alone the price (sometimes huge) increases in other items .Yes granted some of it is due to the enviromental circumstances but not ALL of it. In the early 80's before keating & hawke floated our official currency, Our dollar once was worth 2 English pounds now its worth approx 28 pence ie 3 of our dollars to 1 English pound. On the US $ side of the equation it used to be $1 AUS = $1 U.S. now its about $2Aus to $1 US. What does this mean? simple to achieve the same amount of income that we used to have for our exports we now have to sell twice as much in $US contracts and 3 X as much in English Pounds. On the import side of things everything is now more expensive simply because our dollar doesnt have the "BUYING" power it use to have any more. Over 90% of all IMPORT contracts to this country are in $US.....

So what does this mean to the average Joe Blow?

You tell me.......
:twisted:

[Lord Shaper]

We want to live here and work a 38 hr week while being paid in pounds?

that's what I would want...

[Satan]

oh dddear!

[Mr_Anderson]

Well its been a while out there in urban myth (atleast i think so) that australians recieve less impressive salary and are meant to be 1 of the most highly taxed countries in the world (collin ur an accountant thats right yeah??)

I used to live in holland, and even though cost of living is a bit higher then here and the euro is a bit of a pain economically the average worker seems to be much better off then 1 here. Also most workers get a very nice health retirement pension 1 that i think the retiring / elderly would drool over.

The whole way taxation, employment, welfare support etc etc from my point of view seems to be done much more efficiantly in many european countries then it is in australia.

Not to mention as a uni student i will have in excess of 20 thousand dollar debt when i leave uni (assuming i make it through in minimal time). What sort of start on life is that for a 22 yr old? If i'm gonna be in debt i'd like it to be becuase i pulled out a home loan or something. I think all the uni students on this board can relate to that.

For science students (me, neon) even though this country has produced many of the greatest scientific minds in the world not to mention a higher quality compared to US and most EU countries, australia has an enormous shortage on scientists and science teachers. Why? because they also are some of the most underpaid people in this country and because there is no funding or any real sort of initiatives to attract scientific research etc many find it hard to get a good job. So what do a large % of them do?

By looking at collins post its obvious...... We move oversease..... Which in itself creates more problems and issues which have a negative affect on the country.

frankly the situation as it has been stated is pathetic....

[cpd]

The way I see it, people get their education in Australia and then get the fuck outta here to the US or somewhere that actually pays well.

[eza]

cpd i meant "figure" sorreh :roll:

[sTARk]

The EWFA (Eithipian work force association) has informed me with these figures hereunder;
24 Hours a day, 7 days a week 365 days a year every 4 years they work 366. raw fugre is 0.0001 dollars....im not sure what this is in $US but they should be ashamed :P
:fro:

WTF? :?: :? :?: :? :?: :?

[Yoda]

grrr ressurecting old threads.

It's bs.

END