necessities. The federal minimum wage, which is currently $7.35, has been proven inadequate to support those who rely on it, as millions of minimum wage earners are limited to subpar housing, poor medical care, and cheap, unhealthy food, despite working one or more full time jobs. The federal minimum wage should be increased because it is not adjusted to modern economic conditions, would benefit the economy, and would substantially decrease the number of Americans living in poverty. The minimum wage is not
Picture this: You are a single parent of two, you work 40 hours a week plus occasional overtime at a minimum wage paying job, you struggle to put food on the table to feed your family, and then you receive a call from the bank saying that your home is being foreclosed. This is the situation faced by thousands of Americans every year due to low income and wealth inequality. The federal minimum wage (FMW) as of April 2014 is $7.25, which is not enough to keep a family of two above the poverty line.
The Federal Minimum Wage was introduced in 1938 during the Great Depression under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Originally, it was set at $0.25 an hour. Since then, it has been increased by Congress 22 times. Currently the minimum wage in New York is set at $9.70 an hour. There is a debate on how much minimum wage should be. Many think that it should be raised to around $15 an hour and some think it should stay the same or even be decreased. The Federal Minimum Wage should not be raised because
work weeks at minimum wage can be insufficient to provide for life’s necessities. Many minimum wage workers must supplement their income with taxpayer-funded federal assistance programs in addition to working beyond the standard 40 hour work week. There is an economical and ethical imperative to increase the pay of low-income workers, and this can most effectively be done by raising the federally established minimum wage. The federal government assumed responsibility for ensuring wage fairness by implementing
being misused and introduced the first federal minimum wage: 25 cents per hour. Since FLSA was created, every few years, Congress revise it to account for inflation. Currently, in the United States, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Millions of people in the United States are either living in poverty or debt. Some of these people also have families to take care of and living on the minimum wage is not enough. People argue that raising the minimum wage would hurt businesses, force companies
pose a raise in the federal minimum wage equilibrium, there are a lot of workers, officials, and citizens who disagree. If the minimum wage requirements were to rise, many are not aware of the consequences that would occur. A higher federal minimum wage would result in job losses, there would be little effect on the reduction of poverty, and a result of higher prices for consumers would arise. Within the recent years, an argument was presented for a $15.00 federal minimum wage. Though it sounds appealing
Low minimum wages affects everyday families and lives, more than the average person would think. A small minimum wage could have an very small effect on someone’s life, such as not being able to afford a new pair of boots or that new phone, contradictory to this low wages could also have a very serious effect on someone’s life . Meaning that a parent or single individual could not support their family because a lack of income, it could also mean the difference of living under a safe roof, or living
opinion the federal minimum wage should be raised from its current rate of $7.25 per hour. It should be raised in set increments over time. Raising the wage would help to offset the rising prices of products we use in our everyday lives. The federal minimum wage should be raised to help people living in impoverished places. Raising the federal minimum wage is necessary, but it needs to be done in a way that it will help people and won’t harm the economy. The federal minimum wage should be raised
raising the federal minimum wage that has developed nation wide attention, including protesting and arguments, has caused many discussions on why it could potentially help the economy grow and how it could result in the crash of the economy. Many people feel like raising the federal minimum wage is a must, while others think it will destroy the economy. There are many benefits that come with raising the federal minimum wage, but those benefits also come with many disadvantages. The first federal minimum
Three-quarters of Americans favor a higher minimum wage (Smith). Although so many favor raising the federal minimum wage, it is still a highly debated topic in today's politics. The federal minimum wage was enacted in 1938 as a result of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. One of the main goals of minimum wage was to establish a standard living wage for employees. However, over time this living wage has turned into a starving wage. The federal minimum wage should be raised because it has not kept up