2019-04-30

The federal minimum wage is becoming irrelevant
A patchwork approach to setting a floor on pay has its advantages
原文来源：The Economist 2019-4-27

Article

https://frankzhougq.github.io/article/TE-2019-04-30/

Notes

Between 1998 and 2006, for example, the federal minimum stayed constant at $5.15 per hour, while average wages grew by around 30%.

Local governments might fine-tune their wage floors to economic conditions.
根据经济状况进行微调

By contrast the federal minimum wage is a blunt instrument.
钝器，不怎么管用

It cannot take into account geographical differences in productivity, economic conditions, or the bargaining power of workers.
地方差异

want to restore the prominence of the federal minimum wage
重新恢复重要性
Ex：restore our confidence

vary regionally with the cost of living
根据不同地区的生活成本进行调整

it has met resistance from those
遇到了抵抗和反对

government meddling
政府干预

federal minimum wage will be left to wither for a few more years
枯萎

The rest will be left to fend for themselves.

fend for yourself
to take care of yourself without help from anyone else 照料自己；自谋生计
His parents agreed to pay the rent for his apartment but otherwise left him to fend for himself.
他的父母同意替他付房租，其他的则让他自己解决。

the hot labour-market

force their employers to fork out for higher wages

fork out (for sth) ， fork 'out sth (for/ on sth) (informal)
to spend a lot of money on sth, especially unwillingly （尤指不情愿地）大量花钱，大把掏钱
Why fork out for a taxi when there's a perfectly good bus service?
有挺好的公共汽车，干吗要多掏钱坐出租汽车？
We've forked out a small fortune on their education.
我们在他们的教育上可花了不少钱。

A patchwork approach to setting a floor on pay has its advantages
综合考量的、照顾到不同地方差异的，比喻用法，挺好的