You cannot compare wages in one country with those in another simply on the basis of exchange rates between their currencies. Differences in consumer prices must also be taken into account. Moreover, all this information must be analysed over time. Data which tell us how long individuals have been in low-wage jobs are also very incoherent. Nevertheless, those we have been able to collect show that many of these people are unable to extricate themselves from such a situation.
Low wages lead more surely to unemployment than to a fair wage for an honest job.
We find ourselves in a vicious circle at present. There is a real need in fields such as domestic services for elderly people and home helps, which could create jobs. But the cost of these services make them inaccessible at present to most people, while those providing the services could only increase the wages of their staff and the quality of their services by charging even more. The only way to break this vicious circle is for the public authorities to come up with incentives to stimulate supply and demand. There are a number of examples of such incentives, such as the ch ques emploi service in France or the 'white cleaning ladies' who clean people's houses in the Netherlands.