alt Hacker NewsOk, but society can't bear the cost of $10M garbage men, so either people will do it themselves or go without.
The same argument applies to any job: in most scenarios, it pays what it's worth to society at the market clearing price. The government can interfere via licensing, minimum wages, quotas, etc; but broadly the job pays what it's worth.
Replies
shiroiuma • today at 5:08 AM
Society cannot function without garbage people. It must be done or society will collapse quickly, so society better find a pay rate that gets the job done.
➕ show 1 reply
> pays what it's worth to society
Pay and worth are different, just like price and value are. Garbage collection is worth a lot, but its pay is determined by market dynamics. As the number of unemployed increases, it will pay less.