The US-UK Productivity Gap

[@bollard49]

So tell me this. I earn the mean average wage for the UK. My car is nicer than that of the average American. My life expectancy is longer, I have free health care and more holiday each year. I feel richer.

[@rhys5567]

You're comparing yourself to a false stereotype. Ignorance is bliss.

[@rhys5567]

Ps your health care is shit. In aust, average wait for elective surgery is 43 days. You're aiming .. aiming to reduce yours to 18 WEEKS. 126 days is your goal. The wait is currently 18 MONTHS in the UK. But sure, glad you're happy.

[@kimamey]

​@rhys5567 It's served me well over 70 years, but it did need improving now.

[@AshBohgan]

B.S. thats way us workers get $7 hour

[@David-lb4te]

Yours is a naive comparison. Ideal Starmer fodder.

[@wimlangedijk2414]

Americans confuse money with happiness. The average western- European may earn a little less, but life here, i speak as a Dutch person, is much better than in the USA.

[@Vanguard-c1u]

Guess it's a mind-set...American TV (especially Fox) tells us that the sky is falling...we'll see!

[@gedmahon63]

That's BREXIT for you 😮😅

[@damonmusha6504]

@@gedmahon63 stop posting the same thing over and over please.

[@Kelly-45916]

I don't think this man knows what he's talking about.

[@Kelly-45916]

​@@damonmusha6504KZbin shadows comments, so to the person posting it looks like their comment is being left.

[@starguy321]

In Britain, more people are closer to the average of not being spectacularly wealthy or spectacularly poor. In America, the poorest are poor beyond imagination, and the wealthiest have wealth beyond the dreams of avarice. In 1950, the USA was far richer than not just the UK in GDP per capita, but the entire world. Yet, virtually everyone in the UK could read and write in 1950, whereas 10% of Louisiana’s population were estimated to be illiterate and ~3% of Americans in general were considered illiterate. If you consider as well those poor hicks up in the Appalachian mountains, or in the Bayou, or stuck out West in dormitory towns and tent cities and commuting into the wealthy cities of America, you find that productivity bonus means nothing when there’s no food on the table and barely a roof, if any, over the head

[@benevans7871]

This is a good point. Look at income and wealth distribution as a measure of fairness and then compare UK to other markets.

[@tancreddehauteville764]

Not true. Britain has some of the most desperate poverty in the developed world.

[@TheManunderwater]

What's the source of your information?

[@Mr_Fairdale]

"See it ain't so bad over 're. My life is somehow improved because there's poor people in America. Musn't grumble."

[@rebeccawoods2481]

@@starguy321 Good summation.

[@BombusMonticola]

Still rather live in the UK. Not be shot. Or made bankrupt through ill health. So push off😂

[@KSmith-yp9uk]

you a one of the few UK is far worse now than USA

[@BombusMonticola]

@KSmith-yp9uk Rubbish. The US has turned into a divided banana republic headed by one of the worst presidents you've ever had. I'd rather be here in our parliamentary democracy every time. Your electoral system is one of the worst gamed and bought elections there is. It's grotesque and its too long.

[@lyndaslade4]

Gun crime and knife crime in the UK is rife.

[@BombusMonticola]

@lyndaslade4 rubbish

[@horseobrien395]

Erm have you forgot that labour are now in charge

[@mahon257]

This is bullshit. Uk workers have a better work life balance. We have a lower homeless rate. We have healthcare that doesn't require us to sell our house when the "for profit" insurers decide not to pay... we don't give guns to the mentally ill... i could go on... quality of life is wayyyy more important

[@PeterD-k1n]

$8 million pounds a day to pay for illegals, OK Starmer 🤣🤣🤣

[@CameronBoyd-j8j]

Your so called free Medicare is not free whatsoever the tax payer pays

[@Dmanz67]

@@mahon257 He uses Mississippi as an example.. Mississippi life expectancy - 70 years, UK is 82 years.. that is absolutely shocking.

[@GillMosley-wo9mf]

Talking out of his arsehole.

[@jameschamberlain5817]

In both countries, if you're a high earner, the quality of life is similar, if not better in the states. If you're poorer,everything becomes less affordable. The only difference is that there is a class system in this country that fundamentally rules out the rich from the poor. The quality of life as a homeless person in the uk would most likely be "better" than that of an American homeless person. The reality is, is that there is enough EASILY to prevent homelessness across any country. In my opinion, billionaires should not be allowed to be billionaires. There should be a cap on how much wealth an individual has, and the rest of the money should be given to poverty, education, policing, transport, etc. People would argue that wealth is through entitlement, but poverty is not. The balance of greed outweighs everything, and within greed, corruption and all other sin lies. This is the fundamental problem with society.

[@nigeltrivass4128]

The United Kingdom has a significantly higher median salary compared to the state of Mississippi. The median annual salary in the UK is approximately £33,000 as of 2024, which converts to roughly $41,000 USD (based on an exchange rate of 1 GBP ≈ 1.24 USD). Mississippi has one of the lowest median incomes in the United States. As of 2023, the median income was $30,529. While Mississippi (and the U.S.) offers some advantages, particularly for those who value lower taxes and personal choice in certain areas, the UK provides a much stronger safety net for healthcare, education, and income support, which is more accessible and equitable for most residents.

[@MyCastleHepworth]

I’ve googled what he’s saying here,and he is not telling the full statistical story. I urge any you reading to do and fact checking here…as you should do with all social media claims.

[@christopherdean1326]

I don't need to "fact check" because I don't give a rat's ass what he's saying anyway.

[@MyCastleHepworth]

@ Yes,that’s kind of the problem with the world these days..🤦‍♂️

[@jackbolland-tw6mi]

@@MyCastleHepworthWhat statistics were wrong?

[@danw5760]

Why would you not present your criticisms here? Makes it seem like you didn't find anything meaningful

[@MyCastleHepworth]

@@danw5760 Roubles or crypto..?

[@owenjoseph7648]

I take it this is to justify the way workers are treated in the US and the appaling distribution of wealth. What nonsense.

[@shannonhenson609]

Wealth is earned in the US.....not "distributed". 🙄

[@owenjoseph7648]

@@shannonhenson609 I suggest you look up the economic term "distribution of wealth" You'll thank me. Every day is a school day. No offence taken.

[@shannonhenson609]

@@owenjoseph7648 Tell me something, Einstein. How are workers "treated in the US"? Take me to school. 🤔

[@namesurname624]

I take it you haven't watched the full video peasant

[@patvine1293]

What is appalling about the distribution of wealth in the United States?

[@RogerPeplow]

Had a bit of an accident in the states, $3300 ambulance ride for less than 10 miles, that was just the start of the rapidly rising bill, even with insurance, broken arm damaged back in the UK, helicopter ride to hospital, ambulance waiting, 3 days in hospital, 5 months physiotherapy, no charge, worked in the US for 10 years the employer work ethic is appalling,

[@davidsimerly9212]

Nonsense and piffle! According to BEA US RGDP per capita was $66,813. For Mississippi it was $39,102.69. According to CIA World Factbook, the RGDP per capita of UK was $54,100. (All numbers for 2023). Add the fact that the UK offers universal healthcare for its citizens, and it is obvious that the UK is a much better place to live than Mississippi.

[@danw5760]

The UK doesn't "offer" free healthcare, it takes the payment by force and makes you wait 18 months for the service. I know from experience.

[@triffid68]

We don't have to travel huge distances to get about in the UK

[@Deeejjj64]

And yet the Uk has a much higher happiness planet index.

[@3xitthewarrior]

Does it f u c k. Everyone I know who lives in a UK city is f u c k i n g miserable.

[@unigaming9921]

one of the most disregarded "indexes," due to it's absolute nonsense

[@Deeejjj64]

@unigaming9921 says the over worked miserable American

[@duncanbedford4765]

As long as that deters Americans from coming here that's fine😂❤

[@biglen2466]

Bit harsh but funny.

[@duncanbedford4765]

@biglen2466 ❤

[@twintailsanimations4973]

Yes, they're all lining up to go to the UK😂

[@travlboi04]

What an absolute pile of crap. Lower wages, poorer healthcare, worse job protections, and no damn holidays compared to the UK. Who is this that?

[@patvine1293]

That explained why everyone is abandoning their home countries and immigrating to the UK. The land of holidays and government provided healthcare.

[@j.w.matney8390]

You proved his point about productivity. A Muslim "migrant" will receive health care before you. The police will arrest you for complaining about it on the internet. And your government finally admitted that Pakistani gangs were raping minor women for the past two decades. Your extra holidays don't mean much in that light, do they?

[@orbazel]

All that is true and you’d have a point if he was making the argument for life expectancy and standard of living. He’s talking about GDP for the nation and GDP per capita.

[@pieterzuiddam]

@@orbazelA higher GDP does not help if it is combined with a higher inflation, like it is the case with the USA. In the end you still are poorer.

[@antonijaume8498]

​@@pieterzuiddam AFAICT proper GDP "discount" inflation.

[@user-xz1fh4nv3x]

What he doesn’t tell you is that the average US worker has far less leave, worse healthcare costs, and cheaper food that makes him sick leading to health issues he’s not covered for. Guess I’ll stick with the UK

[@unigaming9921]

*yawn* is that all you have? Every comment seems to be that one thing. It doesn't seem you really have much going for you if people struggle to find anything other than a comparison between their healthcare system and american healthcare (not even that really, more a poor understanding of american healthcare)

[@user-xz1fh4nv3x]

“Is that all you have?”. Actually, it’s all I need 😉👍

[@unigaming9921]

@user-xz1fh4nv3x lol sure

[@user-xz1fh4nv3x]

I am

[@paulturley2527]

Free speech doesn't mean you can lie and say it as fact.

[@Sheepfluent]

I’m afraid he’s right

[@Mikesniezek]

Numbers need reference.

[@edism]

​@@Mikesniezek you mean sources or citations? What he is telling you is well known but you can look it up.

[@M4rky71]

The issue is productivity, GDP growth and wealth is a terrible measure of happiness. Americans take little leave, don’t take holidays, and are dreadfully unhealthy. The difference between the two countries is, we don’t live our lives in a frantic, winner takes all, miserable way. Look at your life and times, and if you need to carry a gun, maybe you’re on the wrong side of the argument.

[@tancreddehauteville764]

Rubbish. What all these Americans tourists you see everywhere in the summer doing then?

[@danw5760]

They're good measures of material comfort though, which is a good starting point for happiness

[@M4rky71]

@ How?

[@obi-ron]

A bachelor degree in the US takes a year longer to complete than in the UK because what the American has to learn in the first year is what Brits know leaving high school, without having paid $30-50k for it. The Brits have greater access to decent food, which is why the average heights of UK males and females is one inch taller than the average American male and female. Dipstick on screen has suspect figures and is using false comparisons to try to make his case. The average UK worker would be able to work through the year because he or she has greater freedom in obtaining time off, is protected by a framework of legal safety requirements, and prohibitions against employer exploitation like the ones perpetrated by American corporations. False equivalency when the poor states in the US are more dependent on the funds provided by wealthier states and have 0% growth in many industries. Propaganda may sound good but reality is hard for corporatists to deal with.

[@terriem3922]

Totally propaganda. Baloney. Malarkey. Prepostery. This might apply to corporations, but people are not corporations.

[@jackmetcalfe8542]

Your comment regarding height is incorrect US heights are shorter due to the hogh numbers of Mexicans and South Americans in the population

[@IceRungs]

​@@jackmetcalfe8542 you can't even make the argument that brits have better food than Anericans based on height alone..like that's such bs There's so many factors affecting height, and it becomes more complex in a large population

[@jackmetcalfe8542]

@ what is really interesting is that British children at age 5 are much shorter than European kids at the same age, and researchers do think it could be due to bad diet

[@tancreddehauteville764]

Height difference is simply because the US is more multi-racial than even the UK, nothing to do with food. The UK has excessively narrow specialisation in 16-18 education and kids are expected to commit to a career at 16, which is ridiculous. You have to pay for college education in the US, but you earn 50% more than in the UK once you graduate. The UK state pension is the LOWEST in the developed world, and is even lower than US social security, which you can claim at 62, not 66 (soon to be 67) as in the UK.

[@Reece-h5l]

It's ludicrous to suggest the general population of the UK is poorer than the US. Distribution of wealth in the USA is far worse than the UK.Total wealth divided by population is a worthless comparison .In a country with a lower GDP the population can be better off just by a more equitable distribution.The US is the most unequal unjust country in the world.

[@JosephineHarvey-q9v]

The certainly are

[@richfrench288]

Yes certainly worse than Russia, Saudi Arabia etc

[@rebeccawoods2481]

@Reece-h5l ...but in the US, they're all very grateful for one week of paid time off. 😂😅 The wages may be higher, but their bills are extortionate in the US. Moreover, their personal debt in credit cards and loans is far in excess of the average UK worker.

[@JosephineHarvey-q9v]

@@richfrench288 I would go that far

[@JosephineHarvey-q9v]

@@rebeccawoods2481 I've lived there for a while and for all our problems here it's certainly a whole lot better here

[@Dmanz67]

Nonsense, he's taking productivity as the only meaningful measure. The UK is the 7th richest country in earth.

[@cpater5397]

Just cause they’re GDP is high doesn’t mean they’re rich that’s not distributed equally

[@George-vf7ss]

Most of that is because of finance and banking in the city of London.

[@XtergoBlue]

It's not because we produce or own value things but the way our banks move things around the world. If you travel to other countries it's pretty obvious the UK is in the worst shape atm

[@Dmanz67]

@@George-vf7ss That's like saying Saudi Arabia isn't rich because it's mostly oil! Britian is a Service Economy, banking is a service. The man in this video isn't just wrong, he's deliberately misleading.

[@sonysmith8445]

The Banksterz usually sucks the average person's future earnings!

[@davidmenasco5743]

There's a trick here. As Richard Wolff has noted, the term "productivity" is really a euphemism for profit. It is defined as how much money the employer gets out of an employee's work. So higher productivity has no connection at all to the worker's standard of living.

[@maskellmaolseachlainn6347]

Only a narcissist could deliver such abject nonsense with such conviction

[@CozzyBbz]

*an American 😂

[@thefloyd8872]

Yes he's delusional

[@frankiefuryland]

You spelt "cunt" wrong x

[@jimlonsdale3830]

The reality is there is nowhere in the UK as deprived as the black states of USA. The disparity between rich and poor in the US is vast....

[@thomaskraus5125]

America's economic growth was 2.1% over the first two decades of the 21st century. The lowest economic growth in America in the last 100 years.

[@danw5760]

Isn't their economy twice the size of Europe's, despite being about equal in 2008?

[@Trevor-vg4qv]

When we have a baby, it costs nothing, if you want an allotment ( small field) to grow food, £25 per year,we have about 30 paid days off per year, there are many differences, we could make a similar video knocking america

[@AshBohgan]

Usa worker earns $7.a hour. Your full of BS.

[@Ricky-dt4qv]

20 dollars an hour is minimum wage in America... Biden has increased it some time ago. Truth ,Britain is worse off...

[@Ricky-dt4qv]

20 dollars an hour is minimum wage in America... Biden has increased it some time ago. Truth ,Britain is worse off...

[@JB-er7zz]

In the US the average salary is $63,795. You might say that is skewed by afew billionaires but even the median (middle distrubution) is $59,384. This would be £50,883.96 and £47,367.65 respectively. The average and median mage in the UK is £34,963 and £31,285

[@ccemcoffingonzalez5304]

​@@JB-er7zz gross or net?

[@rebeccawoods2481]

​@JB-er7zz I'd ask, what's the average cost of health care per year in the US? In the UK, it's zero. Average paid time off per worker? In the UK, it's 20 days by law, plus 8 Bank hols. My monthly mobile (cell) bill is £8, iD mobile. 50GB data, unlimited texts and calls. Virgin fibre broadband £28 pm. Perspective.

[@leonywheeler5174]

It's better here in the U.K. even if our economy is not good because of the liebour government! It depends of the individual who lives here also we have NHS free not like America they are paying! I still love U.K. very much compare to America!!!!!!

[@gavinellis8309]

So what I gather from this is us workers are more exploited and an exploiter like this is therefore happy about this. What's the point of bragging about what you produce if the people who benefit from It are those at the top while the workers work themselves to death with lousy healthcare and very little free time to enjoy the money they earn. This guy smacks of a Republican in the pocket of big business and as far as I'm concerned he can jump on a plane and head straight back to the good old us we're fine here.

[@daniellittlewood8471]

Would you trade with the average person in Mississippi? I wouldn't.

[@vinceb4380]

In the USA you are more likely to get shot or die from Fentanyl poisoning. Of course in America everything has to be bigger and grander than anywhere else. It's part of their Big Headed Ego! 😂😂😂

[@Vanguard-c1u]

Hey, thanks to the Huckabees, the South seems to get better and better, and better...

[@seasonmists]

50% of USA citizens own less than 2% of the overall wealth. 😂

[@Vanguard-c1u]

Ah, Capitalism!

[@tancreddehauteville764]

It's called being rewarded when you produce.

[@Vanguard-c1u]

@@tancreddehauteville764 Or be born into a successful family, get a good job through contacts or ability, be able to afford the education you want, get lucky in the markets, have good health, stay married, etc….

[@seasonmists]

@tancreddehauteville764 It's really not the case. Money breeds money and the extra money is used to buy assets from the poor or the poor could have with hard earned money. Sitting on wealth produces nothing but for robbing the poor's resources.

[@JT-rx1eo]

😂 And yet that 50% is richer than the average Brit. The Leftist European fascination with "inequality". America's "inequality" is far better than your equality of misery.

[@jonsmith1067]

Cash...not living standards. Just come back from the hospital, broken wrist, x ray, nurse, doctor to check and another nurse to put a cast on... No charge...we live in a society. We win.

[@namesurname624]

Your comment vs the full video shows why the masses need to be managed. Too stupid and impatient

[@danw5760]

Delusional. I'm waiting 18 months for a serious concern... But it's all good cause you say I live in a society. Delusional.

[@Nehemiah_Scudder]

I go out for a meal and I pay just for the meal I ordered. I am not expected to also pay the wages of the wait staff on top of the bill.

[@scots_knight4706]

I think it was 2023 America had 630 mass shootings, since our one school shooting back in 1996 they've had hundreds. Health care bills in America are the number one cause of personal bankruptcy and gun violence is the leading cause childhood deaths. I rest my case I'm very happy to be in the UK 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@wiszak9370]

At least Americans got their independence and not slaves for England anymore

[@ConemanD]

As a Brit i can tell you that my wage has doubled in the last 10 years, but i csn do less with that money than i could 10 years ago. The NHS sucks. Going private litterally saves lives- diagnosis is better private, but more importantly, wait times are less. The traffic and roads are terrible and the contractors absolutely rinse the government coffers because there is noone in government qualified to know how much a job should cost or how long it should take. There are too many pencil pushers and middle management in government. Managers with great pensions that are literally pointless. Property prices are ridiculous. Becoming a landlord has become a nightmare. In many ways, it's easier to buy a house and leave it vacant than it is to rent it out (if your rich). The solutions are so simple 1) birth rate is 1.57 to make it 2.1 you need a net of 250,000 desirable legal immigrants to make up the numbers. Not 650,000 legal +100k illegal. 2) the benefits system is poor. Seasonal work such as fruit picking should be topped up with benefits because currently it's more cost effective to just stay on benefits as an individual. 3) produce more than we use 4) become contenders in the development of AI 5) develop national pride so people want to improve the country and not rinse it or otherwise work against it. 6) cut government middle management and hire people who understand the true cost of contracted work. 7) develop good global relations, particularly with the commonwealth with tax free trade. 8) prevent the export of £.

[@alexellz]

“Average” means very little compared to “median”. This guy should be redacted from the net

[@danw5760]

Why are you always like that

[@CrustyAbsconder]

Who is his audience ? Kindergardners in Nairobi ?

[@FS-mt5qu]

All Hogwash

[@tinyleopard6741]

A small change in % of GDP growth each year means a huge difference after a generation.

[@charlo90952]

And the richest US cities are full of homeless.

[@cheeseball-44]

UK has more homeless per capita

[@charlo90952]

@cheeseball-44 there's a distinction between homeless and rough sleeper in UK. The homeless are not necessarily on the streets.

[@cheeseball-44]

@charlo90952 that's the same everywhere mate

[@charlo90952]

@@cheeseball-44 yeah. It's a pretty crappy system.

[@deankeith2507]

@@cheeseball-44 bullshit

[@GP-qn5sx]

mississipi GDP190 billion, uk GDP 3.34 TRILLIONS

[@wiszak9370]

The comparison is per capita, yo morn

[@superdavidc1]

It is after 14 years of tory misrule, also britshit,leaving the EU, it might improve under Labour.

[@carl48uk]

No, No it won't

[@superdavidc1]

@carl48uk Yes it will, but you will still think the tories would do better.

[@YvonneDollery]

Yer right 😂😂

[@superdavidc1]

@@YvonneDollery I know I am.

[@lynnehamilton9257]

He's talking productivity? So American workers are more exploited than those in UK?

[@gamble9437]

This is a bit missleading. In absolute terms he is correct. In relative terms he is not correct. Yes, wages are on average, lower in the UK but things are also a lot less expensive. Add in free health and dental and a world class welfare system and suddenly things dont seem as bad.

[@roberw1912]

It's depressing. Social programmes are expensive and we pay for them in taxes they are not free

[@petermoate5412]

For his talk to have any meaning, he should be talking about median incomes and then the median income in UK would be greater than median income in the USA. This guy needs to apply for the job of CEO at United Health Care.

[@richardperkins2781]

Productivity is a euphemism for squeezing the absolute most of the workers while the execs, shareholders reap the benefits.

[@feltum]

You're talking out your arse, son!

[@mariospacagna2132]

The UK is more sane than the average US worker because our employees have a decent time off and have a much better life work balance and does not risk either being shot or go bankrupt from a health bill

[@Manclad-wv1zy]

You’re talking about production not personal wealth or health . That so called extra production sits with the mega wealthy. Keep believing your bull … many of us have been to your country , most of you haven’t been outside your own state … unless it’s to Mexico.

[@alfreddunn03]

If you ever go to America and listen or read their versions of history, you realise that they tell and teach the American people a completely different version of what actually happened and is happening.

[@philipnorthfield]

Before just accepting this look at the gini coefficient of these two countries. This is a representation of the inequality of the population. To explain the reason this is important take two imaginary nations one with a GDP of two million dollars one with a GDP of one million dollars both nations have a population of one hundred people. In the forma nation one individual has a 1.5 million share of that every other citizen has just 5050 dollars. Now take the second nation which is highly equal here every citizen has 10,000 the million divided equally between them. The first nation has literally double the GDP but for the vast majority of the citizens they have half what those in the poorer nation have. This isnt obviously a real world scenario merely an example but it may help explain why the UK has universal healthcare and its citizens have a life expectancy five years greater than that of the USA. Distribution matters!

[@thomasirvine-yx6cl]

Speaking of corporate overlords and gas lighting

[@matthewmarsh9760]

Still whooped your arse in the war games last year tho didn’t we 🇬🇧

[@peterhandy2551]

They always misuse or misunderstand the word 'Average'. The number of Billionaires in the USA elevate the 'average' of the US wage but dont make the poor better off.

[@michaeltse6961]

Why does the world think USA is the greatest nation on earth. When they voted Trump for a 2nd term. It says a lot about the country. 🤣😂

[@JamesBrown-mj8ec]

They voted for trump to rid themselves of the obscene Democrats who were all for child sex changes regardless of whether or not the child realizes what they were doing to them. And that’s just one of the many things the democrats were literally forcing on the people. And you think that’s okay and should have voted for the democrats?? Wake up you were last in the queue when they were handing out the brains.

[@PaulPendor]

I saw a statement once that said Americans are in a perpetual state of panic. Panicking about losing healthcare, panicking about going bankrupt due to medical bills, panicking about their kids going to school and being shot.

[@petemason5739]

Who is this? When was this? And why is he getting so much wrong?

[@raywilliams2737]

Just got back from Boston where the cost of living is about double that of the UK. 2 plastic cups of red wine at the Boston Pops, 37 dollars. Food quality is frankly shameful. which

[@MM-eu5re]

As an American, I smell propaganda

[@terriem3922]

👃🏼😉🙃

[@Brit_Toolmaker]

It's exactly that, cool aid for the masses to keep the circus going.

[@asimsparks]

As things stand today, Kabul is Safer than any of the major US cities.

[@gregorygirard5290]

Get rid of the green new deal b.s. carbon taxes, excessive regulation on farmers, start actually building ships again 😮

[@specialized500]

That's very silly why do you bother ?

[@paulmckinley2908]

Ive visited the USA and hand on heart I would still live in the UK by choice,anyday(and for all its faults).

[@timothy6227]

This is all down to currency exchange rates. America's currency wouldn't be worth half what it is if it wasn't the world's reserve currency

[@severussin]

It is though.

[@timothy6227]

​@@severussinFor now 😂

[@bell191991]

UK workers get 25 days of annual leave, which employers can't pressure us into not taking. Americans get 10 days of vacation, and are looked down on if they take all of them, and pressured to work as much as possible.

[@jonathanbeattie3410]

Statistics can be bent to meet your goals, I get 45 days paid holiday a year, private health care with my job with an NHS for everyday issues. My life expectancy is longer and my kids go to school without the fear of being shot.

[@Deomnibusdubitandum274]

That is because wages are lower in the UK. So when you say poorer what are you equating that to? As we don’t pay for our healthcare through insurance and have deductibles. In addition, food, medicine, holidays, flights are cheaper in the UK. We also get minimum 33 days paid leave, better paternity leave, cheaper childcare costs, better sick leave. Thus, you have to consider all these metrics.

[@naylorbroughton1159]

Was in the UK in 2022 for a month, Jubilee. I visited relatives in North Wales. Yeah, looks as bad...if not worse than some of the poorer rural regions of the USA. Also.......sure, healthcare is free. Try getting an appointment in North Wales. Six month wait times in some cases.

[@vinceb4380]

Build Back Better. Boyo! 😂😂😂

[@joebloggs2352]

What about the unemployed , are they better off in the U.S. ?

[@davidellis7746]

This guy is talking absolutely rubbish

[@karlabritfeld7104]

Who is he anyway??

[@eezy251able]

If the UK was the size of the states it would be a completely different outcome.

[@jamesmcgarry1229]

Problem is the use of the word “average”. Inequality is even worse in the US than the UK, so comparing median is a truer comparison.

[@gregfaris6959]

And the UK is richer and more productive per capita than any EU country

[@michaelarmstrong2251]

Completely wrong

[@springer3783]

It is of the larger ones, the problem is the eu is great for small countries that get all the benefits but carry none of the burden. The top 5 eu including uk economies are all in major decline because they essentially have to accept decline to allow everyone else to raise up

[@Dan-l2y2r]

Yeah, but the average Brit is MEAN 😂

[@byrnemeister2008]

No it isn’t. We are way behind the leaders. Ireland, Scandinavian countries, Germany. The east Europeans are poorer but growing rapidly with lots of nice shiny infrastructure. We are stagnant with the likes of Italy and Spain. But slipping down the lead table bit by bit.

[@springer3783]

@@byrnemeister2008 France , Germany , uk , Spain and Italy are no longer industrial countries, they’ve had to accept decline to spread wealth around. It’s the eu model .

[@chrisbrown6168]

Let’s talk about life in the UK; - Free healthcare - Legal minimum 28 days paid annual leave (including bank holidays). US has no legal minimum - Paid maternity and paternity leave - Children don’t worry about getting shot at school - Cost of rent is on average 22% lower in UK than US - Groceries are approximately 33% lower in the UK compared to the US - Average life expectancy is 4-5 years longer in the UK than the US We might not earn as much, but I’ll accept that for what we do get instead

[@Crimeajewel-me3me]

Uk is taxed into poverty. The tax reduces the incentive.

[@philipnorthfield]

@Crimeajewel-me3me I am not certain it does. If removing or reducing money through tax for example disincentivizes people from work and giving them more incentivizes them to be more industrious.... Then just making big increases to minimum wage would result in big jumps in productivity so as a society why don't we do it? In fact if people are particularly motivated by money or income and it could be assumed that those that earn or want to earn the most are the most motivated by money then increasing tax on them progressively would result in their becoming more industrious in order to make additional money to replace that paid out in tax.

[@AhmedAdams-w2n]

It's got nothing to do with being taxed you moron

[@elbacr9501]

So following your claim - lowering wages disincentives workers. The UK therefore has been disincentivising workers since the election of Margaret Thatcher. That is your problem.

[@grahamdaley4224]

US workers pay $8000 per year for health insurance. I pay £2000 and get ALL my healthcare needs met for free. Plus my kids go to school and I know they're coming home 😂😂😂😂😂

[@edda682]

@@elbacr9501 I love Thatcher you commie.

[@torefoss7654]

It's important to remember that when there are a few super-rich individuals, they push the average upwards, but this doesn't reflect what the average citizen has. In the US, for example, three people own as much wealth as the bottom 50% of the population. If wealth is calculated statistically in this way, the wealth of these three individuals is distributed across the bottom 50%, and it ends up looking good on paper... In order to show how the majority of people are living it would be more accurate to exclude the top 10% AND the bottom 10% because they are not representative of how a society is doing as regards to personal wealth.

[@jamesmacdonald9527]

I still think we have a better life here. My manager informed me today that I need to take 3 weeks of holiday time before April as I've not taken enough time off but I did have 2 weeks off in summer plus my Xmas holidays

[@garyfrancis6193]

I think this has been true at least since WW2. I have seen videos from the late 1950’s from Britain when it was still a luxury for Brits to have a telephone or home washing machine. When I was there in 1974 British people seemed poorer than back home in Canada. That’s why after WW2 , so many Brits emigrated to the colonies: Canada, Australia, New Zealand because they could have a standard of living there they could never have in England. Mass immigration to the UK could only have made it worse.

[@davidholgate123]

Yet when i go to the US, waiters are begging for tips to survive, there's far more addicts, homeless and tent cities on the streets, the buses, subway and trains all look like they're from the dark ages and many of my American friends talk about not going to the doctor or hospital when they're ill because of the cost 🤔

[@larsenh111]

What matters is costs Vs income. In the US you have to pay at least double for living costs like groceries, rent, utilities. You have to pay a load of property taxes every year if you own a house. You have to pay health insurance. The disparity in salaries for the same job US vs UK is not that much, the averages are skewed by people like Bezos and Musk, yet the cost of living in the US is more than double that in the UK.

[@jungletiger1900]

The high paid UK work force works little but gets paid loads, but the manual workers do work and earn their pay.

[@Nev-we2bb]

If an American worker or a family member gets a serious, long-term illness and has no insurance. What happens to them? Here in the UK, we get world-class health care free.

[@molecatcher3383]

In the UK the average worker gets around 30 days paid holidays each year plus around 8 days of paid public holidays (Chrismas, New Year etc.). Each worker is expected to take every day of the holidays that they are due away from their work. Things are nothing like as good as this in the US. Also the UK, like most developed countries, has a universal healthcare system that is mostly paid for from taxes. How many extra days a year does the US worker have to do to pay for the very expensive private healthcare there ?

[@georgerevay1069]

Life expectancy in UK is much higher than in US. Consequently UK productivity is lower as old people are not productive and need looking after. UK must reduce life expectancy to improve productivity and income per capita.

[@nedgeson326]

And I’m much happier in the U.K. than in the corporate dystopia that the US has become. Reform want us to follow their lead though.

[@carl48uk]

Here in Europe, we judge you on who you are not what you have. Work life balance is more important than the corporate ladder. Someone mentioned the waiting times in the NHS. We have more preventative healthcare meaning we don't need as much access to critical healthcare The population on the whole here has a healthier diet with food not pumped full of additives or colourings that cause cancer. 40% poorer but 100% richer in life.

[@karlabritfeld7104]

The average American doesn't have$500 in the bank for an emergency. One major health crisis could cause them to file bankruptcy. One job layoff could render them homeless. A trip to an American shopping mall could be your last if an insane gunman is in there. Any day your kid goes to school could be their last if a gun toting classmate shows up

[@Betweoxwitegan]

What does that even mean? Obviously wages are lower in The UK as the cost of living is lower and we also get higher quality services for our higher effective tax rate (even if in recent years the balance is waining) The UK has a lot of problems right now and for the last couple decades atleast but just because you have a higher income does not mean that you're better off, that is gross negligence Life expectancy is way higher in The UK, crime rates are way lower, PISA performance is higher, inequality is somehow lower, etc. Yes if you're a privileged or wealthy person then your finances will be better in The USA as there's higher levels of inequality, that is by no means representative of the median individual. Why are so many working class Americans moving to Spain, Portugal, Germany or The Netherlands, etc? Life is simpler and less stressful, there's less propoganda, extremism, crime, etc. It would help if he actually cited what he's talking about...

[@davidc4408]

I went to university in UK at a top Russell group university that is ranked in top 20 in the world with tuition debt of only $5000 that included my BSc and Masters. I live in a town that is probably safer than any place in the UK. You forget the cost it costs for medical care, college and other costs. London has lower crime and murder rate than nearly every top 100 major US city. UK has better life expectancy and higher IQ

[@wendyg4382]

The inmates within the U.S. prison system, laboring under conditions akin to slavery, represent one of the largest manufacturing forces in the United States.

[@jspy8138]

A rich country like America should have a health service by now that's free to all, private to those who want to pay, like in the UK

[@johng4093]

Productivity is increased by investing in technology that allows each person to accomplish more.

[@nickconquest5527]

Government policy is to increase GDP not GDP per capita. It tries to achieve this (not doing well) by importing cheap labour (doesn't need to do anything; they just arrive). There is no incentive to invest to improve productivity.

[@Michael-xg5gn]

US workers only get about 2 weeks paid holiday, we get 6, but I agree due to mass uncontrolled immigration we are definitely a lot poorer then we were 20 years ago!

[@Fontainebleauify]

I’m in utah and spend summers in Barcelona. Have been to france 7 times or for 7 months.. Barcelona for 9 months now. I don’t think we are better off right now. Not yet. However the maths don’t lie. If our gdp per capital grows at 3% and your grows at 1% in 24 years we will have double the per capita income and yours will have only grown by 1/3. This IS the big difference that will be noticed eventually. This growth difference is baked in the cake (absent major difficult overhauls). What this means is we will be able to afford more socialistic programs without having the high tax burdens you have over there. I can currently make 60k taxable and pay 6k in federal and state income tax combined. That’s what the (but we get this and that “free” people are missing. I max out my tax free retirement accounts and have 1 child tax credits. I hardly pay anything. My health insurance is partially subsidized at this level.. it’s 300/month. That’s through Obamacare not through a job. Anyone has access to it. We also don’t have VAT so some things are cheaper.. like cars. My 2100 sq. Ft home cost 240k in 2014. Utah is above average in wealth for USA. Again, it’s not now you’ll see big differences.. it’s in 20 years it’ll be obvious.

[@Taporeee]

Interesting how productivity rarely mentions senior manager accountability and ceo corruption affecting productivity aswell as asset stripping private equity

[@keithhobson8509]

The average American if not already in dept from college/ university, two jobs, stressed out, can’t afford a vacation or not entitled too one, on top of praying never be ill or any health issues, be shot or cops do it to name a few, that’s also as long as they grow up old enough to get out of school 😢

[@graememudie]

We don’t live to work, we work to live. How many weeks holiday does the average American get per year? How many people go bankrupt due to excessive medical bills? Etc.

[@trekky8398]

What he does not factor is, we don't have to pay for health care like a usa person and we get more worker rights and holidays then them

[@ndmmt-wu7kz]

Which tells you just how much GDP means. Choose between living in the UK vs Mississippi.

[@btmorley833]

First of all, he’s using “average”, and America’s average is skewed by the absurd wealth of its billionaires. Secondly, he probably hasn’t accounted for things like exchange rates, purchasing power, disposable income after insurances, healthcare, etc. Thirdly, he didn’t mention quality of life which is infinitely more important than the amount of money one has.

[@PaulHarper-o8w]

The Uk doesn’t have street after street of homeless poor like the us of a has they should be ashamed of not looking after their own people.

[@MarcSterland-l8o]

My family lives in America, and most Americans who live in big homes could not get a 1 bedroom flat in London. Dollars weak. You get own by the drug companies.