Wages Today......quite staggering when you think about it.

[BoldonLad]

https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator

Can that be legitimately used for wage comparisons?

I've been very well paid from the off in my career but my calculated 2019 (£50867) salary figure seems overly high relative to my actual 1978 figure (£8800). I'd would've thought it would be closer to £40000 which was good for a 22 year old I have to admit especially after seeing some of the '70's wage quote figures on here.

Sadly, I confess to having kept a record of my annual earnings since 1975 - bit of an OCD thing I think.

The website says "for price comparison". To me, that would imply it is not strictly applicable for wage comparisons. However the degree of inaccuracy is beyond my meagre knowledge.

Personally, in order to make comparisons with the past, in money matters, I tend to think in terms of how many hours I had to work to earn enough money to buy specific item.

It would appear I am not quite as OCD as your goodself, but, I can recall my annual earnings at key points in my life (eg first house purchase, 1968, earning £1,050pa gross, house price £3,800). Despite regularly reading of how we were all much better off, in 1920s, 1960's etc etc, I personally have no desire to go back there, financially, wouldnt mind aches and pains wise, perhaps .

 

[Dave7]

Happy birthday!

You are a "good vintage", ie 1947, like myself

Worst winter on record I believe.
Do you recall walking to school with the snow up to your calves.

 

[snorri]

Hmmph, youngsters today...when I was a lad .....mumble mumble....pay £4:5:9 a week, digs £3:10/- a week, bus fare home at weekend 9/9. Packet of two Woodbine and box of matches, out of the question.

 

[BoldonLad]

Worst winter on record I believe.
Do you recall walking to school with the snow up to your calves.

I am much younger than you, my 73rd is not until October

My parents told me about the "bad winter", which I believe was the winter 1946-1947. Mrs @BoldonLad (January), was around for it, which I remind her, regularly, much to her annoyance

I have a wealth of what I term "hovis stories" from my childhood/youth, eg dragging a sledge, loaded with two 1cwt bags of coal, through the snow in 1958 (I was 11yo then). Have I got you in tears yet?

 

[PK99]

My grandaughter is 16 and at college. She has just got a weekend job as a 'house keeper' in a sheltered home type place.
£9.00 PER HOUR .
When I was 15 I worked 40 hours a week for £4.50 (thats £4 10 shillings in real money). Its hard to equate that.

My first school holiday job was 25p per hour. Beer was 10p a pint

 

[PK99]

I'm in Cuba at the moment.

A professional salary is about the equivalent of $US60 PER MONTH.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Using that site, my starting salary as an artificer apprentice in 1983 was £8159 a year in today's money - but that was take home, after food and lodgings was taken out. I rather think over 80% went on beer (which was 60p a pint IIRC)

edit - I see starting salaries are now £20k. Once they take out tax and food & lodging, it's not went up by much.

 

[Dave7]

I am much younger than you, my 73rd is not until October

My parents told me about the "bad winter", which I believe was the winter 1946-1947. Mrs @BoldonLad (January), was around for it, which I remind her, regularly, much to her annoyance

I have a wealth of what I term "hovis stories" from my childhood/youth, eg dragging a sledge, loaded with two 1cwt bags of coal, through the snow in 1968 (I was 11yo then). Have I got you in tears yet?

Hate to break it to you but you weren't 11 in 1968

 

[BoldonLad]

Hate to break it to you but you weren't 11 in 1968

oops...... should have been 1958 !, and, here was me, thinking we had a good education in our 45 pupil per class school days, cant even do simple arithmetic

 

[Mo1959]

Worst winter on record I believe.
Do you recall walking to school with the snow up to your calves.
[/QUO
My dad often talked about that winter. The village he was in, the snow was piled shoulder high at the side of the roads for weeks. School was on as normal though. Can you imagine now....they are off if there’s more than an inch!

 

[Milzy]

Then there's the people who are not very good at budgeting. Even on professional wages, if you've poor money management skills or been wreckless in general you can still be living on the bread line.
Many on minimum wage seem to spend half of it on tobbacoo and booze. Did you know a pack of 20 is £12? Some folk where I work are on 40 a day. Plus all their beer money. Then they gamble & buy takeaways. No wonder there's food banks.

 

[Dirk]

All this talk of wages!
Will no one think of the poor pensioners? *


* Dirk - first wage £6 1s 2d

 

[Dave7]

oops...... should have been 1958 !, and, here was me, thinking we had a good education in our 45 pupil per class school days, cant even do simple arithmetic

We was posh.....only 35 pupils per class.

 

[Dave7]

All this talk of wages!
Will no one think of the poor pensioners? *


* Dirk - first wage £6 1s 2d

No, not at all. Why should they get any sympathy.
Ohh hang on......thats me
Up with the pensioners
Pensioners for ever
Support the pensioners
Phew, got away with that.

 

[screenman]

It may not be a pleasant thought, but, Labour is subject to the law of supply and demand, just like any other commodity. If employers cannot get employees to fulfil a given role, wages (for that role) increase.

Or the business goes bust.