We are living in a wealthier world. The number of people living in extreme poverty has halved in recent decades. More people own cars and mobile phones. But why do we still see poverty?
Listen to the podcast then be ready to answer some discussion questions.
In China, being Caucasian can open doors to a Hollywood style career. With thousands of high-rise apartment units to sell, housing developers have turned to talent agencies that specialize in renting out foreigners to clients. A white face is supposed to make a place “truly international” which should then translate into sales.
Read more and see how the Chinese use image to solve the real estate glut and in the process transform the average Joe into a celebrity of sorts.
In Spain, tourists have been spending billions of Euros from January to July alone.
This is said to be helping the country recover from the economic crisis. However, some top Spanish vacation destinations have experienced drawbacks from the heavy influx of tourists in the recent years, forcing authorities to impose stern measures to control the situation.
Tourist spending in Spain sets new record, boosting economic recovery
Foreign tourists spent €37.129 billion between January and July alone – the highest in recorded history, according to a report released by the federal Tourist Expenditure Survey released on Thursday.
This was an increase of 7.7 percent over the same time period from last year.
Spain has received a record number of tourists so far this year at 37.9 million, who have in turn been spending record amounts of cash each day – dropping on average €113 per person daily.
And each tourist spent nearly a grand – €978 – over the course of their vacation under the Spanish sun.
Tourists from the UK lined the coffers of Spain’s tourism industry the most, spending a total of €7.58 billion. But although one in four tourists you may see poking around gift shops hail from the British Isles, the British only contributed a fifth of the total tourist spend.
It was the American tourists, though, who seemed to have the deepest pockets with each US native spending on average €161 per day.
Catalonia, the coastal region in northeastern Spain, earned the most from tourism racking up €8.588 billion a figure that represents amost a quarter (23.1 percent) of all of the money spent by tourists across Spain.
But despite the fact that tourists have been bringing in evermore money to the cash-strapped country, Spain has seen backlash against mass tourism in recent years at some of the top vacation spots.
Magaluf is among those resorts attempting to crack down on tourists behaving badly through a raft of new bylaws prohibiting exhibitionism and binge drinking.
And Benidorm on the Costa Blanca will now be employing the help of British bobbies to patrol the shores where more than one million Brits holiday each year.
Money may not grow on trees, but in Spain it sure seems to grow on tourists as holidaymakers bring in more cash than they ever have before.
Discussion Questions:
1. What do you think leads to more tourists coming to your country? 2. Do you think tourism helped a lot in improving Spain’s economic condition? 3. What are the benefits and drawbacks of tourism? 4. What other places in Spain should be developed for tourism?
America is the place where everything is big – from food portions to super skyscrapers and warehouse stores. “Small” is the last word one associates with the US. Surprisingly, however, it was in this very land of everything mega that the tiny house movement was born.
Watch the video and learn more about the minimalist lifestyle that has made some people move from big houses to whimsical dollhouse-type homes.
1. According to the video, why are there more and more people joining the tiny house movement? 2. In your country, what did people do to adjust when the economic crisis hit? Did people start selling their homes? 3. Is it usual for people to live in big houses in your country? 4. Describe your ideal house.
The European Union is a politico-economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe. It has grown from the six founding states to the current 28. Joining the European community has become a primary goal for most European politicians.
Read the article below and express your thoughts about EU enlargement.
1. As a citizen of the EU, what is your opinion of further expanding the union or adding more countries? 2. Do you remember the time when your country joined the EU? Do you think it was a good idea for your country to join the EU? 3. How do you think Europe would be like if the EU weren’t ?
People around the world work with minimum wage. A minimum wage is the lowest daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Which country has the best minimum wage in the world? Let’s take a look!
Low wage workers in Australia have it better than most.
The country has the most generous national minimum wage in the developed world, according to a report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The report ranked 27 countries that have laws setting a nationwide minimum rate of pay.
Australia’s minimum wage workers — aged 21 and over — make 15.96 Australian dollars per hour. After tax and other deductions, that’s equivalent to $9.54, once the difference in the cost of living is taken into account.
“They have a high minimum wage. And interestingly they have a low tax burden,” said Herwig Immervoll, the author of the OECD report. “[Australians] recognize that supporting low wage earners through the tax system is important.”
Other countries have set higher hourly rates but they also tax minimum wage workers more, leaving them with less in their pockets.
Australian workers on the minimum wage make the equivalent of $10.38 per hour, which works out to $9.54 after tax.
The U.S. ranked 11th on the list, with a federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. That leaves workers with take-home pay of $6.26 per hour.
However, the U.S. would move up the rankings if state minimum wage rules were factored into the equation. Roughly half of U.S. states have rules ensuring workers are paid more than the federal minimum, Immervoll said.
The OECD report shows that a single Australian minimum wage worker with two kids could work just six hours per week to lift themselves above the poverty line, because they would also receive state benefits.
In the U.S., the same worker would have to clock in 50 hours per week to escape poverty. In the Czech Republic, it would take 79 hours of work per week.
Eight countries, including Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, were not included in the report because their governments do not set national rules on minimum pay. Many of them have strong labor unions and established arrangements for collective bargaining, which means governments don’t have to step in.
Here are the top five countries for hourly minimum wages, based on the latest OECD data from 2013:
1. Australia – $9.54
2. Luxembourg – $9.24
3. Belgium – $8.57
4. Ireland – $8.46
5. France – $8.24
Countries with the lowest take-home minimum wages include Latvia, Chile and Mexico, which is bottom of the list with a rate of about $1 per hour.
— An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the U.S. federal minimum wage was $7.85. It is $7.25.
Discussion Questions:
1. What is the minimum wage in your country? 2. What do you think should be the ideal minimum wage in your country? 3. How does salary affect the performance of an individual at work?
Venezuela is famously known for its beautiful people. But, like any other country, Venezuela struggles with poverty and citywide housing shortage. The Tower of David is a glimpse of some issues that the country is facing.
Discussion Questions:
1. Is poverty an issue in your country? 2. How is your government taking care of the housing needs of the citizens? 3. What do you think are some of the best ways to address poverty in the middle of an economic recession?
1. What do you think are the consequences if neighborhood pubs continue to close? 2. Does your city have very strict laws when it comes to planning and building? 3. Do you think there’s too many commercial spaces in your neighborhood? 4. If it was in your power, what changes would you make in your city?
1. Are there more younger people than older individuals in your country? 2. How does your government take care of the senior citizens? 3. What are the effects of an ageing population to a country?
