Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal Quotes
You cannot set salaries by decree. At the end of the day, it doesn't work with the market. What you can make sure to do is to train workers in order to make them more efficient and demand higher salaries because of their qualifications.
"Mexico pushes back against U.S. demands on auto wages in NAFTA." Reuters, 10 May 2018.
This is a statement that in the early 21st century would be made only by ultra liberals. But in the in the late 1940’s this was not only standard democratic party thinking, but a large number of Republicans thought of the Government as the employer of last resort including their Presidential standard bearer.
At the time there was great demand for skilled computer programmers and other technical skills. But there was insufficient demand for many of the skills that the American Workforce such as airplane mechanics, or TV Camera people for example.
The nation was divided over the issue of immigration. Many observed that the vast majority of the immigrants—especially the illegal immigrants performed jobs for which American workers could not be hired. Opponents like the congressman, claimed that if better wages were paid Americans would be doing the jobs, and as long as there were immigrants who would work for low wages, there was little reason for employers to pay more.
first for women
At the time, 10 and 12 hour work days were common throughout the country and a movement had started to shorten the work day by legislation. Overtime payment over 8 hours was the eventual solution.
This is a fascinating historical quotation. It illustrates that each generation claims that the love of work and the work ethic is not what it used to be.
This is the major argument always given against raising the minimum wage. Historically, however, when the minimum wage has been increased there has never been a large increase in the unemployment rate. However, if the increase would be huge it would likely have the effect of pricing some workers out of the market. Like so many other elements of politics, moderation is important.
Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal is a Mexican economist and politician from the Institutional Revolutionary Party. He previously served as the Secretary of Economy of Mexico during the presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto.
