Benefits include “egg cryopreservation”… “You can make more money working at Starbucks than at a hospital! Wages in Los Angeles
Can’t find workers even at 2,640 yen per hour…
The U.S. economy continues to experience record levels of inflation, with no sign of it ever coming to an end. The U.S. economy continues to experience a severe labor shortage, and even now, during the holiday season, restaurant windows are filled with “Staff Wanted” signs. Major companies are repeatedly raising wages in order to secure staff, and there has been a reversal of the situation, with people moving from hospital professions to fast-food restaurants and chain restaurants.
As a writer living in Los Angeles, I have heard of two cases in the past few months alone where hospital administrators have switched jobs to work for the popular hamburger chain IN-N-OUT. I also heard of an x-ray technician who switched jobs to Starbucks.
When I checked hourly wages as of December 2022, the average hourly wage for a barista at Starbucks in Los Angeles is $16.54 (¥2183), while a cashier at the IN-N-OUT hamburger chain earns about $14 (¥1848). I myself have seen restaurant staff positions in town ranging from $14 to $18, with a high of $20 (2,640 yen).
Prices continue to rise in Los Angeles….Job at “Starbucks” to protect your livelihood
Due to inflation and the effect of large corporations raising wages, Starbucks and burger stores may make more money than medical jobs when tips are included. Wages in the U.S. are rising, but at the same time, the cost of living is also rising, making the cost of living higher, and workers are changing jobs to protect themselves and their families. In Los Angeles, where the cost of living is high and many millionaires live, an annual income of 10 million yen does not put one in the rich category, but is a very common living level.
In addition to wages, there are several other reasons to leave one’s professional career to work for a chain restaurant. With the COVID-19 crisis, more and more people are rethinking “the way they work,” and are choosing jobs that require less work and offer reliable earnings over stressful professional workplaces such as hospitals. Working in a chain store is less stressful due to the simplicity of the content, plus the benefits are more generous. Starbucks, for example, has so much more than just what is written on their website.
Difference in the mindset of “being hired” in Japan and the U.S.
When I was a company employee in Japan, I had a sense of “I am hired” or “I am allowed to work. This was born out of a feeling of “thankfulness” for being hired, but I also had a vague idea that “the company > the employee.
In contrast, I feel that in the U.S., there is not as much difference in the balance of power between companies and employees as there is in Japan. When I look at people working in the U.S., I see a flat relationship between the employer and the employee, where the employer provides the labor and the employee receives the wages. It is also common to look for a better job while working, and if you find a job with better benefits, you can negotiate with the company you are working for based on the details of that job.
It is not at all rude to negotiate a wage increase with the company as if you are winning your own career, and it is also possible to negotiate the way you work. For example, you can discuss your own wishes, such as working longer hours per day and reducing the number of days you work.
