In the currently different U.S.A. unskilled labor is not productive enough to support more than the worker. Why is that? Probably the labor market. Employers do not have to offer more than starvation wages to attract enough unskilled workers.

Before the Pandemic, we had very low unemployment but wages for unskilled labor remained quite low. Why was that? Again look to markets. There was still an excess of supply of unskilled or under skilled labor in many forms, native labor, immigrant labor or foreign labor. There are refugee camps with millions of potential workers who are not allowed to compete in local markets for jobs.

The only unskilled labor jobs that I hear of going unfilled are workers to pick seasonal crops. Backbreaking work that I am told Americans are unwilling to do.

Unions could not protect unskilled labor jobs because replacement workers were too easy to find. Unions can protect more skilled labor that require credentials like Teachers, Nurses, Technicians, Clinicians.

Socialism, protectionism, minimum wage hikes, might help the unskilled live better lives we will have to see how that works out.

TEK