Talk-Polywell.org

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17543356
Wouldnt have guessed that

Yup, and I guess it doesn't include all your folk on the dole, which you pay for in your taxes and lower wages, while we have a lot of self employed which acounts for our much higher AVERAGE disposable income.

America, the land of small business!

And does it REALLY surprise you that such a study would be published by a Labor organization?

I guess it doesn't include all your folk on the dole

I dont understand what that means, sorry.
These are the average wages per country in PPP. We have about 12% self employed in our country, that this statistic does obviously not include. Self employed pay less for social security than employees do, but also have less benefits. Health care is about the same for both and costs about the same for both. I am not a big fan of the unemployment and pension part of the social security, which really is in need of reform. All together it is not that bad though, even compared to the US.
Also I am wondering whether the disposable income as measured in the US includes the costs for health care, which everyone has to pay for one way or the other at some point in their life (either via insurance, or out of your own pocket). Austrians pay that with their taxes, which reduces the disposable income. So I am not sure whether the numbers can be compared that easily...

I really don't get you. I think it is great that you are doing so well. Bully for you guys. Congrats. Nothing bad to say. Good job. Go Austria!

You have a really nice city there.

If I understand correctly, PPP is about adjusting the prices of a basket of goods between countries. This accounts for the fact that food or cars for instance are cheaper in the US than in France, or cheaper in France than in Sweden.
How does this account for the differences in cost and efficiency of essential services such as education, health care and public safety ?