United States | News & Politics

TL:DR - Cratchit is making poverty wages in the UK and the US. However with extra context provided by different numbers, can still show workers around the world are being screwed.

I was curious about the math.

Schillings to Pound (https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/education/education-resources/shillings-to-pounds-converter)

15 schillings equals £.75

Inflation from 1843 to October 2025 (https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator)

£.75 = £83.18

Bob Cratchit was making £83.18 per week. That's about:

• £2.07 per hour for 40 hours (£83.18 / 2)
• £166.36 for two weeks (£83.18 * 2)
• £4,325.36 per year (26 x £166.46)

The median weekly pay for someone who lives in London is £903 (https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8456/). There is a 166.262% difference between Cratchit's weekly income (£83.18) and the median income of London (£903).

The overall median income for people living in the UK for the fiscal year ending 2024 was £36,663 with the mean being £42,684. (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/householddisposableincomeandinequality/financialyearending2024)

There is a 157.789% difference between Cratchit's annual income (£4325.36) and the median annual income of someone in the UK (£36,663).

The minimum hourly wage in the UK for April 2025 is £12.21. (https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates)

There is a 142.017% difference between Cratchit's hourly income (£2.07) and the minimum wage in the UK (£12.21).

Cracthit is still making poverty wages in the UK.

For the Americans;

As December 5, 2025, the exchange rate is hovering around $1.33 USD for every £1. (https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/GBPUSD=X/?guccounter=1)

£83.18 = $110.92 USD

Bob Cratchit was making $110.92 USD per week. That's about:

• $2.77 per hour for 40 hours ($110/92 / 2)
• $221.84 for two weeks ($110/92 * 2)
• $5,767.84 per year (26 x $221.84)

The Federal minimum wage in the US is $7.25 per hour (https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/minimumwage)

• $290 in weekly income ($7.50 * 40)
• $580 per two weeks ($290 * 2)
• $15,080 for the year ($580 * 26)

There is a 89.3345% difference between Cratchit's weekly income ($110.92) and the federal minimum income ($290). There is a 89.3345% difference between Cratchit's yearly income ($5,767.84) and annual income at the federal minimum ($15,080).

Cracthit is still making poverty wages in the US.

Conclusion

1. Showing your work and sources are super important. This tweet may have been correct at one point however it's way off the mark now.
2. On a surface level, my calculations show that workers have had it it great. However, with extra numbers for context. We can easily show that workers around the world are still being fucking screwed. Numbers like the percentage increase of wealth, the consumer price index, calculating real wages, the rise in productivity vs the stagnation of wages, etc.