On 19/11/2017 15:04, Mark wrote:

JNugent wrote:
On 18/11/2017 14:55, Mark wrote:
Yellow wrote:
Mark wrote:
Yellow wrote:

Or maybe the pay rates for skilled people is too low? If benefits are
really too high this creates a poverty trap if wages are low. However
I very much doubt that benefits are 'generous' now, if they ever were.

Define "generous". To me, if you can live on it long term without the
need to ever work then it is "generous".

What if you can't live off it or a job paying minimum wage?

We are discussing unemployment benefits not the minimum wage, and the
solution there is to get a job - obviously.

We are discussing both. The minimum wage and unemployment benefits
are linked and cannot be considered in isolation. Obviously there
should be incentives to work, but that means work should pay well, not
that benefits should be squeezed so that people cannot manage.

Please explain how unemployment benefit and the NMW are "linked".

If the minimum wage is too low then how will this "encourage" people
to work (especially for those here who believe that unemployment
benefit is too high)?

You misread my question. It was: "Please explain how unemployment
benefit and the NMW are "linked"."

But if you are in work and decide you want a higher standard of living,
whatever your income, the answer is obviously to earn more.

Not easy for most.

Work is often neither easy nor pleasant. That's the point.

I'm sure (almost) everyone wants a higher standard
of living but there aren't an unlimited amount of better paid jobs
available.

Actually, there are, though they won't be necessarily available to the
specific individual. You must have read somewhere that the economy is
not a zero sum game/gain (both versions exist and apparently mean the
same thing).

There are over 32 million people employed in this country. Please
explain how all these people can gain higher salaries.

Who said they can?

Some of them clearly don't need to.