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Salaries going down the tubes?
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Gwangjuboy



Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Location: England

PostPosted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

World Traveler wrote:
OK, here's a question:

Why would Britain be opening up its labor market to Romania and Bulgaria? To get skills and talent lacking within its borders...or out of the goodness of its heart?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1139062/British-teenagers-lower-IQ-scores-generation-ago-new-study-reveals.html

Admittedly, I don't know much about the country; you'll have to tell me more. The first thing that comes to mind when I hear "Britain" is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYg6puqw5sE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBH8Yb6KY4c


You can take your pick:

1. The last government subscribed to the global villlage ideology and wanted to undermine the nation state (there is evidence that government advisors wanted to anger the Conservative party and its supporters by opening the doors)

2. Big business wanted to access labour which is perfectly substitutable with native labour from countries where expectations and wages are significantly lower

3. British workers are lazy and refuse to get out of bed for minimum wage(this is the myth our business leaders are perpetuating in order to justify 2, although huge numbers of British workers are already working in minimum wage jobs and applying for such work)

I have nothing against Romanians and Bulgarians of course, but that doesn't mean they should have unfettered access to an already terribly weak labour market (in terms of wages, unemployment and jobs density). Of course the housing situation, already a complete mess, is only going to get worse. Bottom line: The UK is f*cked beyond all comprehension. Perhaps there is more room for optimism in the US and Canada (especially the latter from I am know)
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Swampfox10mm



Joined: 24 Mar 2011

PostPosted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No, Gwangju... not a lot of room for hope in the US.

Canada, perhaps.
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Swampfox10mm



Joined: 24 Mar 2011

PostPosted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

nautilus wrote:


Korea didn't used to accept SA's but with the korean economy slipping as well, they've lowered their expectations.



I don't feel this is fair at all. To be truthful, the two SA's in our department are in the top 5 of our department, in terms of student rankings. They're also very good teachers -- meaning the students got it right.

We also have another SA in the English Lounge, and he is also a very good teacher.
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PRagic



Joined: 24 Feb 2006

PostPosted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 12:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A few years ago I remember running inflation adjusted wage calculations on ESL teacher incomes and being shocked at the results, it came out that teachers at hagwons and most universities were making less than they were 10 years previously.

There are still a few decent university slots out there that provide annual raises and that don't impose term limits. I'm not in ESL so I'm going by what my friends tell me and whatever info I've gotten from Dave's. On the rip side of that coin, one buddy just signed with one of the biggest universities in Seoul and was not offered any increase. And if I recall correctly, SNU totally swept house a few years back, doing away with annual increases and lowering salaries in the process.
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nautilus



Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!

PostPosted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 6:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Swampfox10mm wrote:
nautilus wrote:


Korea didn't used to accept SA's but with the korean economy slipping as well, they've lowered their expectations.



I don't feel this is fair at all. To be truthful, the two SA's in our department are in the top 5 of our department,


Sorry, wrong wording.

I meant in the perception of many korean employers or parents only, that SA is one of the less desirable teacher nationalities due to a mixture of historical and cultural biases.

Certainly many S. Africans of English heritage speak far better english than the english themselves.
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World Traveler



Joined: 29 May 2009

PostPosted: Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dairyairy wrote:
Plus, let's not forget those who are really driving the salaries down- illegal teachers.

You know what's really driving down wages? Korean citizens posing as native born English speaking Westerners. It is happening on such a wide scale. (And sometimes hagwon owners pass them off as Westerners to parents and students with or without their knowledge or consent.) The percentage of the Korean populace who have at one point in their life lived abroad is growing each year, meaning the percentage of Koreans who can speak English in complete sentences (and thus trick Koreans with little knowledge of English into thinking they are gypos) is similarly growing as well.
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World Traveler



Joined: 29 May 2009

PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 4:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Swampfox10mm wrote:
No, Gwangju... not a lot of room for hope in the US. �

Canada, perhaps.

Here's some hope:

Booming Stocks, Stronger Economy
Quote:
The benchmark for many big stock mutual funds � the S&P 500 index � is on its longest winning streak since 2004. The S&P opens for business today above 1500 for the first time since the recession started in late 2007. The Dow Jones index is up 6 percent since Jan. 1.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2013/01/booming-stocks-stronger-economy/
Quote:
the unemployment rate for college graduates is far lower than rates for those who don�t have a degree.


Optimism about economy sends stocks to multiyear highs
Quote:
NEW YORK, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The Nasdaq composite stock index closed at a 12-year high and the S&P 500 index at a five-year high after stronger U.S. and international trade data improved the outlook for economic growth.

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSL1N0B8DPW20130208?irpc=932
Quote:
Signs of economic strength overseas buoyed sentiment on Wall Street. Chinese exports grew more than expected in January, while imports climbed 28.8 percent, highlighting robust domestic demand. German data showed a 2012 surplus that was the nation's second highest in more than 60 years, an indication of the underlying strength of Europe's biggest economy.

Separately, U.S. economic data showed the trade deficit shrank in December to $38.5 billion, its narrowest in nearly three years, indicating the economy did much better in the fourth quarter than initially estimated.
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Evanzinho



Joined: 10 Apr 2008
Location: California

PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 9:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Umm...didn't the economy in the U.S. contract in the fourth quarter of 2012? I think the economy shrunk by 0.1%. One more quarter of contraction and the U.S. will be back in a recession.

One more thing; gas is back at $4/gal here in CA. I have no idea what happened, but this will hurt the economy as well.
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World Traveler



Joined: 29 May 2009

PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 2:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nope. Actually, economists are saying otherwise now. (The U.S. economy did not contract in the fourth quarter of 2012; rather, it grew.) That good economic news is part of what is making stock prices soar.
Quote:
Taken together, the reports pointed to an economy that was still growing at the end of the year, and was poised to grow at a quicker pace in early 2013 as firms rebuild inventories to keep up with demand.

That's too bad about California gas prices. Have you seen gas prices in Korea? About double what it is in the U.S.
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Weigookin74



Joined: 26 Oct 2009

PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 8:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

World Traveler wrote:
Nope. Actually, economists are saying otherwise now. (The U.S. economy did not contract in the fourth quarter of 2012; rather, it grew.) That good economic news is part of what is making stock prices soar.
Quote:
Taken together, the reports pointed to an economy that was still growing at the end of the year, and was poised to grow at a quicker pace in early 2013 as firms rebuild inventories to keep up with demand.

That's too bad about California gas prices. Have you seen gas prices in Korea? About double what it is in the U.S.


The stock market grows because of all the free money being pumped into the economy by the fed. Sooner or later that will translate into heavy inflation and the bubble bursting. As for California, I heard many were moving to Texas because of the more business friendly climate there.
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12ax7



Joined: 07 Nov 2009

PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 11:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

PRagic wrote:
A few years ago I remember running inflation adjusted wage calculations on ESL teacher incomes and being shocked at the results, it came out that teachers at hagwons and most universities were making less than they were 10 years previously.

There are still a few decent university slots out there that provide annual raises and that don't impose term limits. I'm not in ESL so I'm going by what my friends tell me and whatever info I've gotten from Dave's. On the rip side of that coin, one buddy just signed with one of the biggest universities in Seoul and was not offered any increase. And if I recall correctly, SNU totally swept house a few years back, doing away with annual increases and lowering salaries in the process.


I don't have a term limit and I receive the same yearly raise as my Korean colleagues as per the collective agreement. So, yes, there are some good employers.
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bobbybigfoot



Joined: 05 May 2007
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 4:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Reading this thread makes me realize how lucky I am to have the job I do. It's tough out there and it's only going to get tougher as the English industry in Korea dries up.
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EZE



Joined: 05 May 2012

PostPosted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 5:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What's really going to kill salaries is inflation.

The Japanese yen is down 20% against the US dollar since November. With Korea and Japan competing head to head in similar export goods, Korea will probably start devaluing the won in order to keep exports competitive.
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World Traveler



Joined: 29 May 2009

PostPosted: Fri May 24, 2013 7:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

12ax7 wrote:
PRagic wrote:
A few years ago I remember running inflation adjusted wage calculations on ESL teacher incomes and being shocked at the results, it came out that teachers at hagwons and most universities were making less than they were 10 years previously.

There are still a few decent university slots out there that provide annual raises and that don't impose term limits. I'm not in ESL so I'm going by what my friends tell me and whatever info I've gotten from Dave's. On the rip side of that coin, one buddy just signed with one of the biggest universities in Seoul and was not offered any increase. And if I recall correctly, SNU totally swept house a few years back, doing away with annual increases and lowering salaries in the process.

I don't have a term limit and I receive the same yearly raise as my Korean colleagues as per the collective agreement. So, yes, there are some good employers.

In another thread you said you get a 3% raise per year. Does that even keep up with inflation? Doesn't seem all that good to me. Your Korean colleagues get the same percentage amount (or same won amount) as you do for a raise? They work in ESL like you do? I'm surprised. I would have thought they would be getting a raise bigger than that each year. I think overall for most people things are going downhill...but I don't think there is anything I could say to convince you otherwise.
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PatrickGHBusan



Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -

PostPosted: Sat May 25, 2013 3:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

WT let me ask you, in education where do you see salaries skyrocketing?
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