> If those workers were capable of earning enough money to no longer be eligible for public benefits, they would choose to take those jobs instead. But they aren’t, so they don’t.
The jobs available on the market aren't continuously and uniformly distributed on the pay axis between $0 to ${whatever corporate CEOs take home}. Most people can't marginally improve their pay by marginally improving their capabilities.
> If they didn’t have the option of working low-wage jobs and supplementing that income with public assistance, they would be unemployed and completely dependent on public assistance.
Not if they had an option of working higher-wage jobs. The market pushes salaries down as much as it's allowed. Apply some upward pressure, and the market just may find it in its heart to pay more for the same job.
The jobs available on the market aren't continuously and uniformly distributed on the pay axis between $0 to ${whatever corporate CEOs take home}. Most people can't marginally improve their pay by marginally improving their capabilities.
> If they didn’t have the option of working low-wage jobs and supplementing that income with public assistance, they would be unemployed and completely dependent on public assistance.
Not if they had an option of working higher-wage jobs. The market pushes salaries down as much as it's allowed. Apply some upward pressure, and the market just may find it in its heart to pay more for the same job.