Argument Essay: Raising The Minimum Wage

Minimum wage has caused controversy throughout history between the two parties in government, the Democrats and Republicans, debating if they should increase minimum wage or not. Minimum wage was first established during 1938 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt (Sessions). The first act to enforce employers to pay its employees is the Fair Labor Standards Act which followed the Social Security Act (Sessions). Minimum wage started as twenty-five (25) cents per hour which doesn’t seem like a lot, but it was at that time (Sessions). The United States tended to raise the minimum wage when the standard of living changed. Since 1938, two other amendments were created to increase minimum wage laws even more. By 1961, minimum wage raised to $1.15 with another increase in 1963 (wages). Since the 1963 wage change, minimum wage created a trend of increasing yearly or every other year (Wages). From 2007 to 2009 minimum wage increased each year making the current minimum wage $7.25 (wages). Sine minimum wage has been established, Congress has increased minimum wage twenty-two times (22) (). Since minimum wage is supposed to change when the standard of living changes, then why hasn’t the United States government changed it since 2009?

Should the minimum wage be raised? This question is the question being asked by millions across the United States. Most people will say yes, however, an economist will most likely say no. This is a very important subject and what the people of the United States should be compelled to notice as well as take action on the minimum wage. In the United States, 3 million people make less than the federal minimum wage. Furthermore, with over 60 million people living in the lower middle class the minimum wage is not high enough. That's why the minimum wage should be raised to $15 an hour because CEO's support it as well as it presents a living wage.

Minimum wage is the lowest amount of pay that employers can legally pay their workers. Minimum wage in the United States, is set at $7.25, the federal government takes out up to 12 percent of the whole payment for taxes. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are the ones who have set the minimum wage from 1938 to the current year, 2017. The FLSA is a law that sets various labor regulations that includes interstate commerce employment, requirements for overtime pay, and the limits on child labor. Some argue that teenagers and low paying workers should be paid more than $7.25 dollars an hour, while others argue that they should suck it up and be thankful for what are paid. Researchers have stated that high minimum wage increases have helped bring the poverty level down in the United States. Other researchers have said that the level of minimum wage has little to no effect on the poverty level. Minimum wage is a happy medium that a company or organization sets for an employee; they use this as a starting point for an employee to receive raises and bonuses. Minimum wage is thought out to be by some a terrible thing because it is the reason our poverty levels are down, but with the minimum wage it has helped with economic growth.

The people of America are all for raising minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour but what the people do not know is that raising minimum wage is not going to help the people in poverty. Raising minimum wage is only going to hurt the people in the middle and lower class by making the cost of living go up, leaving the people with education based jobs making around the same income, and creating a bigger career mess.

Minimum wage is a problem, but most don’t want to raise it. Raising minimum wage will be a big problem now and including the future. Raising minimum wage is a problem depending on a social hierarchy. For many years the U.S had had many protesters and this is a problem according to state officials. Family's around the world are surviving on as little as 4.25 an hour in this case people have to survive off of food stamps and family members. Job owners can choose to higher the pay due to a raise in the company or a downgrade will determine whether they will make below minimum wage. Minimum wage should be increased from 7.25 to 9.00 an hour because of the over qualified, educated, and experienced Americans who are now relying on minimum wage jobs as a result of the struggling economy. Also, increasing minimum wage could help stimulate the economy. But, in order to get the economy back on track the spending power must be in the hands of the Americans who in fact, spend. With today's tough job market most job seekers are willing to acquire positions they are considered over qualified for, even if it means taking a pay cuts. Therefore, an increase in minimum wage will ensure that low wage over qualified workers have the means for vital necessities like housing, food, transportation and health care. Last year more than 200,000 Americans with college degrees were working minimum wage jobs due to our struggling economy. Furthermore, an increase in minimum wage would help stimulate the economy by

One of the most acrimoniously debated problems in American society today is the debate over the minimum wage. The minimum wage, established in 1938 by President Roosevelt, was made to be a safety net for people who provided unskilled labor, but also needed to provide for themselves. Up until that point, people had no guarantee that they would be paid. The minimum wage was quite literally one of the only lines of defense unskilled workers had in harsh times, such as near the end of the Great Depression. In today’s society, the minimum wage is still a means by which unskilled workers can provide for themselves, but many people have lost track of what it originally meant. The minimum wage is no longer specifically meant for people in dire need, having to take the first job they find. People now perceive it to be something into which they can settle, even in today’s society, where opportunities for hard workers to be promoted are frequent and encouraged. Despite the chances people have to seek out promotions, most $15 minimum wage proponents believe that they are entitled to having the minimum wage increased because they believe it would put them at a “livable wage” and that businesses owe them higher pay because of the cash flows they generate. As a federally mandated expense to businesses, it is critical for people to consider the possible negative outcomes of trying to forcibly make businesses, whether large or small, pay an increased minimum wage as drastic as $15. Not only will it negatively affect the U.S. economy, but it will also put minimum wage workers at the same level of disadvantage, if not more.

In “The minimum wage: To raise it or not to raise.” Mike Patton explains the negative effects of raising it. He addresses the various consequences this change would lead to the society in a long-term scenario. Even though protestors believe that the best choice they have to improve their economic situation is to get a higher wage, this action would lead not only to atrocious but perilous complications. It is undeniable that we are always seeking for an improvement in our economy but the issue of increasing the minimum wage cannot be discussed without considering the negative outcome of this tremendous change.

Raising the minimum wage comes with two sides good and bad the good side is people would be getting paid better and making more money, and bad side would be product prices would increase. If the price of living wasn’t so outrageous we wouldn’t have to worry about minimum wage or the people below the poverty line. If minimum wage goes up inflation is most likely going to rise and it really wouldn’t make a difference then because the individual would still be in the same boat trying to afford things.

The infamous author Mark Twain once said: “The lack of money is the root of all evil.” I believe that is the case for minimum wage employees. They denounce the wealthy for being successful while not trying to improve themselves. Although I firmly believe staff and creators should be treated with equal respect, just as every human being, they are entitled to what they earn. In my perspective minimum wage is acceptable when the job does not require a higher education or degree, as a CEO of a company is expected to have. I do not believe that taking and dispersing capital from the wealthy to the rest of America will help our people in any way as the author from The Trouble With The Super-Rich, Barbara Ehrenreich does.

The debate over minimum wage increases has been a major political issue for decades. Some believe that a higher minimum wage will put more money into the economy and pockets of the lower classes. However; opponents believe that a minimum wage increase would do more harm than good. The Washington Post has published several articles on the issue, one of which being: “$15 is the Wrong Goal for Wage Warriors”, which doesn’t have a specific author; because it is a collaborative piece from the editorial board itself. The Wall Street Journal has also published an opposing article: “The Evidence Is Piling up That Higher Minimum Wages Kill Jobs”, written by David Neumark. The Editorial Boards main point of view is that the federal minimum wage should sustainably be increased, while David Neumark believes that a higher minimum wage would harm those whom the increase is meant to help; the unskilled. The Editorial Board’s

Raising wages would affect the individual worker by improving their lives and standard of living. Macroeconomics is the part of economics concerned with large scale or general economic factors, such as interest rates and national productivity. A twenty five percent raise in minimum wage, would increase gross domestic product and spur the economy. Increasing the minimum wage by 25%, to nine dollars, will improve the lives of many Americans/the standard of living, and spur economic growth. Economist Jared Bernstein who is the economic adviser for vice President Joe Biden says,” An increase is not a luxury or 'beer money' anymore. There are too many people who depend on a low-wage job to meet their family budget that this increase is needed, not

The minimum wage is a complex issue specially here in the US, I keep asking myself the question: what gives government the right to set wages?  Where in the Constitution does it say that this is the government's role?  Wouldn’t be best to let the free market determine the wages earned? Wouldn't there be more incentive in improving ones’ skills if they are hired according to their ambition and desire to improve? Giving that one of the obscure effects of minimum wage is the mentality that kids should stay in school in order to earn a better life and yet we're shocked, when these same kids end up not being able to find a job or needing to take a minimum wage when they graduate college, and what about people without an education? Commonly the only

The topic of whether the minimum wage should be increased or untouched has been a hot topic in the political life lately. The federal minimum wage was first introduced in 1938 at .25 cents an hour by the Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to reduce underpaid workers and increase families under the poverty line. President Obama addressed Congress with the rise of fifteen dollars an hour as the federal minimum wage, but it was never passed or put into law. Due to this address, the controversy has risen to an all-time high. The advocacy or this issue has risen, and government administration is stuck not knowing how to solve the issue. The positives and negative hold each other hand in hand causing a great dilemma. Raising minimum wage creates the question of whether or not it could help poverty dissipate, and in reality,

Human rights are defined as a right that belongs to humans because they are human. Everyone should have certain rights to live a healthy life, like rights to life itself, security, and freedom of thought. One right that is a little bit complicated and controversial is the right of having a fair minimum wage. The United States has enacted laws guaranteeing a minimum wage for all workers, but what should that number be? There has always been a number set in stone around every decade, but with the United States continually improving and getting out of the recession, it has yet to change since 2009. The right to a fair minimum wage should be a human right, and with that, the minimum wage should be raised to at least $10.10. This should all happen because it will prevent poverty for many in America, it will help the economy by giving more money to consumers, and because the UDHR already supports the idea of a fair minimum wage.

As a teenager, getting hired for a minimum wage paying job meant you'd finally be earning your own money to put into savings to use as you please. For some minimum wage earners, this is not the case, given that they are a single parent without education living paycheck to paycheck. These people are the citizens fighting for an income of $15/hour. This issue has split the country in two, with arising issues such as the effect on the economy after the pay raise and if $15 is asking too much for such a basic skill level job, making it obvious that it is time for a change. Although minimum wage is a low income for an individual trying to raise a family, "this is where the harsh reality sets in: minimum wage jobs are not intended to enable people to raise a family of five on", and for that reason and many more, the minimum wage should not be raised to $15/hour (Hawkins).