How much money do the workers in sweatshops get paid?

Answer 1

One would think Sweatshops were in Third World countries, but they are also in the backyards of the U.S. and Canada. U.S. Firms and their subcontractors are to blame for many of the Sweatshops especially in the garment industry. What this does is take away jobs from the U.S. and Canada. Example: If you are in the garment industry it is cheaper to have the clothes made in places like China among other countries for extremely poor wages and miserable working conditions. The Firms charge the U.S. or Canadian consumer high prices and make billions of dollars off the the mistreatment of sweatshop workers.

Sweatshops are characterized as places of employment that have low pay, poor working conditions and long hours and often times abusive bosses. Sweatshops are in most countries, but you only hear about a very few. Some of the countries are:

• Mexico - $3 per day in U.S. Funds!
• Bangladesh $0.13 per hour in U.S. Funds
• China - $0.44 per hour in U.S. Funds
• Costa Rica - $2.38 per hour in U.S. Funds
• Dominican Republic - $1.62 per hour in U.S. Funds
• El Salvador - $1.38 per hour in U.S. Funds
• Haiti - $0.49 per hour in U.S. Funds
• Honduras - $1.31 per hour in U.S. Funds
• Indonesia - $0.34 per hour in U.S. Funds
• Nicaragua - $0.76 per hour in U.S. Funds
• Vietnam - $0.26 per hour in U.S. Funds

The economic way of thinking views sweatshops in which both workers and employers gains when they enter into a labor contract no matter how low the wages may seem to external observers. Of course this is not true and it's good for the Firms of the products, but never good for the employee. In most of the sweatshop countries they live on less than $1.00 - $2.00 per day. If this were the case of sweatshop workers getting good pay then hoards of Mexicans wouldn't be trying to cross deserts (often dying in the process) to get across the U.S. Border to try and make a better life for themselves and their families. There have been many documentaries on this very problem on TV. Fortunately, not all economists support sweatshops.

Countries with Sweatshop environments that allegedly make U.S. Brand Names:

• Bangladesh (2004) Mary Kate & Ashley .18 p/hr.
• Burma (2004) NBA .14 p/hr.
• China (2004) NFL/NBA/MLB .165 p/hr.
• China (1997) Nike 1.75 p/hr.
• Costa Rica (1998) Rawlings Baseball 1.15 p/hr.
• El Salvador (2001) Gap .55 p/hr.
• Haiti (1996) Disney .28 p/hr.
• Honduras (2003) P. Diddy .75 p/hr.
• Honduras (1996) Levis & Nike 5.40 p/day
• Honduras (1996) Wal-Mart/Kathie Lee .31 p/hr.
• Indonesia (2002) Nike 2.46/p day
• Nicaragua (2000) Kohl's Dept. Stores 3.00 p/day
• Vietnam (2004) NBA .15 p/hr.
• Vietnam (2000 Nike 564 p/year
• Vietnam (1997) Nike 1.60 p/day

Note: Nike's employees in Indonesia receive free health care and meals in addition to their wages. Some other countries also give additional benefits, but very few. Often the information retained for statistics is false and given by the people involved that stand to make the most money for their product.
The apparel industry has drawn attention from the press because they use Third World countries to make their products. They have low wages by U.S. standards.
It is up to the U.S. or Canadian consumer to decide if they want to keep sweatshops going in their own countries or other countries (many are Third World Countries) or to refuse by not buying their products.

• The above is true, but here is the real problem. In Canada the Asians are buying up more homes, malls, etc. They raise the rents of the stores pushing out the owners. We see one shop after the other moving out of our malls. It's wonderful to say buy Canadian, but just try to find something that is not made in China. If you are very lucky to find something made it Canada it costs far more. What is wrong with this picture? What is made in your own country should be cheaper and when exported to other countries it should be at a higher price.

Answer 2

As someone who grew up and came of age in the 50's I can recall that the prevailing wage for blue collar workers (depending on the area of the country and the industry in question) was between five and ten dollars an hour. And TEN dollars an hour was considered a HIGH wage.

Answer 3

Most factory workers got paid about 4 shillings a day. Some got paid a little more, but some got less. Hope this answers your question.

Answer 4

Kids and adults that worked in factories usually get paid from .60 - 5.00 Dollars