How Many Hours Should Minimum Wage Workers Work Just to Survive?

Millions of employees in Turkey wake up early in the morning and go to work. In crowded cities, going to work takes at least 1 hour. He leaves work around 6pm and drives 1 hour again. He is home at 7.

All that’s left from all this hustle and bustle is a few hours staying. Well, someone making minimum wage just needs to pay rent, food, bills, and other basic expenses. How many hours does he work in a month? How much does he earn in the remaining working hours?

Let us give brief information about the current 2024 minimum wage: Net minimum wage 17,002 TL It was announced as.

Minimum wage for 2024, daily gross 666.75 TL and daily net 566.74 TL. Gross hourly 88.90 TL and net hourly wage 75.56 TLis.

According to Endeksa data, the average unit rent per square meter of rental housing in Turkey was 122.12 TL. Our provinces with the highest unit rent per square meter are; These were Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Muğla, Antalya and Çanakkale.

However, those living in cities such as Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir either earn the minimum wage. higher salaries or live with more than one person even if they live in 1+1 houses sharing the rent.

The amount paid per square meter by someone living outside of provinces with high unit rent per square meter rent 70 to 80 TL between. However, let’s take into consideration how high the rents are in our country and calculate this in terms of calculations. Let’s make it 100 TL.

The square meters of 1+1 flats vary between 35 and 77 square meters. Now, our 1+1 house 56 square meters Let’s assume it is. Thus, the rent 5.600 TL is happening.

According to TÜRK-İŞ hunger line data, food expenditure of an adult man in November 4.213,41 TL and food expenditure of an adult woman 3.398,12 TLis. Monthly food expenditure for an average amount Let’s buy it as 3,800 TL.

Alone in a 1+1 house Bill expenses for a thrifty person who lives and does not use natural gas too much are; electricity (250 TL), water (100 TL), internet (200 TL), natural gas (450 TL), telephone bill (200 TL) and apartment fees (200 TL) on average It costs 1,400 TL.

These bill expenses are calculated as an average, for example, expenses such as apartment fees are change in most parts shows. There is also a travel expense for employees if the employer does not cover it. Since these vary between 500 and 1,000 TL from city to city, 750 TL let’s take it.

All of these are the expenses that a minimum wage earner must make on average in a month just to survive. All this in total 11,550 TL It does.

5,452 TL remaining from 17,002 TL staying. This is actually the remaining money 1 month old It has to cover all social needs, personal expenses such as non-food shopping and loan repayment.

Let’s get to the point:

We said that the monthly basic needs expenses of someone earning minimum wage are 11,550 TL and in terms of calculation net hourly earnings 76 TL If we say: 11.550 / 76 = 151.9.

This, in 151.9 working hours of a month It just means he’s working to cover his basic expenses. This period is reduced to 16.8 business days, that is, almost 3 working weeks It coincides.

Although the new minimum wage, which has been announced to be valid throughout 2024, seems sufficient for now, if inflation continues to increase, housing, utility bills and food prices will continue to increase. In this case, the day when a minimum wage earner works just to live will be the same in 2023. around 18 days It can come and even exceed that.

If you subtract the amount you pay for your monthly basic needs and divide it by the money you earn hourly, you will find out how many hours in a month. just cover your basic expenses You may find what you work for.

How many hours does he spend left working to earn money that he can spend on the things he wants?

The money earned during the remaining working days is spent on social activities, shopping and other expenses. What actually happens is that even Not having time to waste.

If we say 9 hours of work, 7 hours of sleep and 2 hours of travel per day, only 6 hours remain. Unfortunately, when we exclude compulsory activities such as breakfast, dinner, shower and ironing, what remains is It stays for 4 hours.

This is 4 hours; meeting with family and friends, It is spent on activities such as going to the cinema or concert, reading books and self-improvement.

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