Module 7 -Against Moving Minimum Wage to a Living Wage

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University of Kentucky *

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630

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Economics

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Apr 3, 2024

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While raising the minimum wage to $15/hour in Kentucky is incredibly popular and sounds like an equitable and just idea that theoretically increase earnings for the lower and middle class, in practice there are certainly many reasons not to do so. Research shows that historically, raising the minimum wage disproportionally has a negative impact on the very populations the raise intends to help, as “the disemployment effects of minimum wages have been found to fall disproportionally on the least skilled and on the most disadvantaged individuals, including the disabled, youth, lower-skilled workers, immigrants, and ethnic minorities” (Wilson, 2012). As social workers it is our moral and ethical responsibility to protect and advocate for these populations (National Association of Social Workers [NASW] Code of Ethics, n.d.), so it is crucial to educate others about the potential harm that could fall upon these marginalized people. As of 2022 16.5% of Kentucky residents are living in poverty (United States Census Bureau QuickFacts, n.d.), shockingly higher when compared to the national percentage coming in at 11.5% which includes 37.9 million American citizens (Shrider and Creamer, 2023). While it is well known that the top 1% of people’s wealth in the United States account for more than the “other” 99% combined, we need to focus on how to close the gap on this wide margin of financial disparity. I will not argue that raising the minimum wage will harm all Americans, but I will assert that it would unintentionally hurt many people. It will likely cause employers to cut hours from part-time workers and incentivize businesses to utilize equipment rather than people for various labor to save money, which increases the difficulty and incentive of lower-skilled citizens to come off of government- funded welfare and obtain a job (Wilson, 2012). The economic impact on United States citizens should not go unmentioned, as the likelihood of inflation increasing even further than its current impact on the economy is very high (Lemos, 2004). As a professional social worker, it will be our duty to inform people of the financial disparities raising the minimum wage could cause. References Code of Ethics . (n.d.). https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of- Ethics-English Lemos, S. (2004). The effect of the minimum wage on prices. https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/1072/the-effect-of-the-minimum-wage-on-prices. IZA Institute of Labor Economics . United States Census Bureau, A Shrider, E., & Creamer, J. (2023, September 12). Poverty in the United States: 2022 . Census.gov. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-280.html United States Census Bureau QuickFacts. (n.d.). U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Kentucky . Census Bureau QuickFacts. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/KY/PST045223
Wilson, D., & Wilson, D. M. (1998). Increasing the Mandated Minimum Wage: Who Pays the Price? The Heritage Foundation . https://www.heritage.org/budget-and-spending/report/increasing-the-mandated-minimum- wage-who-pays-the-price#pgfId=1000959 Wilson, M. (2012). The Negative Effects of Minimum Wage Laws. The Cato Institute . https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/negative- effects-minimum-wage-laws
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