preview

Increasing The Minimum Wage

Good Essays

The minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour and has not increased since 2009. This is one of the most controversial questions in America today, should the federal minimum wage be raised, lowered or eliminated? The minimum wage, which covers 90% of American workers, should be raised. Changes to the minimum wage would benefit the economy, society and possibly lift Americans out of poverty. Since 1938 the economy has recovered considerably from the Great Depression which began in 1929 and ended in 1939.
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 set a minimum wage for employees in the United States. Before this Act was passed there was a high unemployment rate, and employers could take advantage of desperate workers by paying extremely low wages and working them a maximum number of hours. The Fair Labor Standards Act was started in an effort to improve working conditions and raise standards of living by limiting the number of hours worked and setting a base wage that employers must pay.
Increasing the minimum wage will progress the economy in many ways such as, increased buying power, faster rates of job growth, and decreasing the need for taxpayer-funded assistance. When consumers have more on-hand cash to spend, they are able to spend money on retail goods and services. Greater demand and sales for these businesses is likely to cause the need for more workers over time. Studies done by Paul Sonn and Yannet Lathrop show that in a majority of instances an increase in the federal

Get Access