Minimum Wage Chart

There has been much controversy over the years on the impacts resulting from an imposed minimum wage and how it relates to the economy. It wasn’t until President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a Bill enacting the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 that American’s gained the right to a minimum threshold by which their labor could be sold. Against much opposition President Roosevelt was for a law that banned oppressive child labor and set the minimum hourly wage at .25 cents, and the maximum workweek at 44 hours.1 The minimum wage has been around for many years and it wasn’t until recently that it has become the topic of many discussions again. The intent of this paper is to look at some of the economic impacts associated with an increase to the minimum wage. There continues to be a difference in opinion among many economists on the pros and cons of a minimum wage hike. Those in favor attribute quality of life, reduction in poverty and gained efficiencies; while those that oppose claim an increase to poverty, unemployment and reduced efficiencies across the board. Which path warrants the most merit and should be considered a viable option across the board for the United States labor force?

“A 15 percent increase in the minimum wage nationwide would destroy about 290,000 to 590,000 young people's jobs, and about 400,000 to 800,000 jobs overall” (Henderson, David R). Due to the Fair labor Standards act, the federal minimum wage, or the lowest you can pay an employee for work, currently stands at $7.25 an hour. Although a number of Americans think that raising the minimum wage would benefit our country, it would actually bring a number of problems to our economy, such as a rise in job loss and high school dropout.

Minimum wages laws fluctuate throughout all fifty (50) states. The federal government has minimum wage set at $7.25. Although the government has the law in place, states and cities must right to increase the minimum wage, but they are not allowed to decrease the value below the federal law. According to Caplinger, there are about twenty- one (21) states that have a minimum wage higher than the national level. These states that have higher minimum wage tend to have a higher population. For example, California, as a state, has decided to increase their minimum wage law due to the standard of living. This law to raise minimum wage to ¬¬¬$10.50 in California is in progress to take effect in January 2018(Kravosky). Some cities within states, can create their own minimum wage. Cities create these minimum wages based on the population size, cost of living, and size of the city. For example, Atlanta, Georgia has a minimum wage of $15 an hour but the state of Georgia has minimum wage set

In the United States, the minimum wage was passed during the Great Depression in 1938 to protect the buying power of normal workers in a period in which the “unemployment rate was still a very high 19 percent” (Sklar, 2009, p. 1). Since that time, there has been significant debate about the controversial topic of raising the federal minimum wage. The federal minimum wage law was created to eliminate unfair practices of sweat shops and manufacturing companies during this time period. Thus, the minimum wage is defined as the smallest salary that an employer is legally allowed to pay employees for their work. Since the time of the Great Depression, minimum wage has been utilized to guarantee that employees are paid

Recently, the call to raise the Federal minimum wage has gotten stronger. Some states have taken the initiative recently to raise their state minimum wage above the federal guidelines. Currently someone who makes $7.25 an hour working full time under the Federal minimum wage earns $15,080 annually before any taxes are taken out. Critics of the proposal to increase federal minimum wage believe that increased labor costs force businesses to cut jobs to make up for the decrease in profit (Mejeur). However, others believe an increase in federal minimum wage to even $9 an hour would impact 700,000 workers in North Caroline alone and have a positive GDP (Gross Domestic Product) impact of $495 million, which would help to grow the economy nationwide (Schoenbach). The federal minimum wage should be raised so that adults would not need to rely on government assistance programs to live above the poverty line.

Millions of Americans live in poverty unable to find high paying jobs to support themselves and their families. A common belief is that paying a higher minimum wage would help lift people out of poverty by giving those with low paying jobs a higher income, however the evidence suggests otherwise. The 2016 race to the White House heating up, the minimum wage battle is at the forefront of every economic discussion. The rhetoric between candidates within and across party lines is intensifying. Many differing opinions are being heard. As the debate over whether or not to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25/hour to $15/hour rages on, one side stands apart time and time again.

A 2014 study found that raising the California minimum wage to $13 an hour would increase the incomes of 7.5 million families, meaning fewer would live in poverty. Teens who live in poverty are twice as likely to miss more than 2 to 3 days of school a month. Raising the minimum wage would help families out of poverty which means teens would miss fewer school days. Increasing the minimum wage would allow teens to work fewer hours for the same amount of pay giving them more time to study and reducing the likelihood that they would drop out of high

Research shows if minimum wage was to climb that it would hurt the least skilled and the least experienced people trying to seek a job the most. There are different of opinions people believe in about the positive and negative aspect of minimum wage. Supporters argue that such a boost will shrink poverty without plummeting jobs and that it will boost confidence, increase the normal living, and cut inequality and have businesses to be well-organized. Opponents that are not for minimum wage say it will increase poverty, unemployment and is not good toward businesses. The question about minimum wage and the effects it would cause if it was to rise, remains one of the most commonly studied topics.

Minimum wage affects many people and by understanding its evolvement throughout the years we can better understand how our government can better provide for those working minimum wage jobs today. Inequality is an inevitable factor in a capitalist market, people need proper incentives to work hard and be productive, and the incentive of more money or more opportunity is the driving force of capitalism and even the American dream. However there are several current complications that even those who are actively employed are living under the poverty line, like stated previously minimum wage from when it was first implemented raised along with inflation but then began to lose momentum in the 1970s and since then it began to stagnate and then drop along with increased inflation; if minimum wage were to be raise to $10.10 to become congruent with inflation it would bring 4 million people above the poverty line. Congress instituted the minimum wage in 1938 as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The first minimum wage stood at 25 cents an hour. The last minimum wage increase occurred in 2007, when Congress raised the rate in steps from $5.15 an hour that year to $7.25 an hour in July 2009. The District of Columbia and 19 states have also established local minimum wages higher than the federal rate. The highest state minimum wage in the country occurs in Washington State at $9.32 an hour, however

For over a decade, many Americans have struggled with the low wage issued from employers, despite working very long hours of work. According to a study done in Oregon State University, a federal minimum wage was first set in 1938, starting at 25 cents an hour. Due to inflation that has occurred many times throughout the century, the call for raising minimum wage is to be immediately answered. However, the minimum wage falls when congress does not raise the minimum wage to keep up with inflation. Because of this many cities and states have departed from the minimum wage. In this essay, to be discussed is the reason why imposing a minimum wage above the equilibrium wage will reduce employment and contribute to an increase in the unemployment rate.

Currently the minimum wage is $7.25 an hour in most states. Recently, people have been lobbying to raise the minimum wage. Those petitioning do not recognize how raising the minimum wage will affect the economy and many people’s lives in a negative fashion. Endorsers believe that raising the minimum wage will help those who are poor, but in reality it will cause more people to succumb to poverty. For the sake of all Americans, we must educate the lobbyist regarding the effects of raising the minimum wage.

A minimum-wage increase would put billions of dollars into the U.S. economy, benefiting businesses. It may not result in a surplus, but it will benefit the economy. Workers who are affected in any way by the minimum-wage being raised even to just twelve dollars an hour would see nearly eighty billion dollars in increased earnings over the next five years. Because low-wage workers tend to spend increased earnings locally on basic necessities, this will benefit businesses that rely on consumer spending. It still won’t come close to the equilibrium price, but it will help. The minimum wage last year was twenty-four percent below the level it was just about fifty years ago despite the fact that American productivity has more than doubled over that period and low-wage workers now have much more experience and education than they did back then. Now it’s the time to address this weakness in the minimum wage by raising it and lifting the earnings of low-wage

In 1938, The United States enacted a minimum wage law under the Fair Labor Standards Act that made employers pay their workers at least twenty-five cents. The law was intended to reduce the amount of Americans living in poverty and keep track of unjust business practices. Still to this day, we Americans argue over the controversy due to low minimum wage and high inflation rates. The deregulation of business and the inconsistent government policies have led to an alarming problem, the minimum wage isn’t enough for Americans to live off of nor is it doing its original purpose by getting citizens out of poverty.

The lowest minimum waged states tend to be farther south and the plains. These regions are usually where income is relatively low and political parties are conservative. In some states President Obama made has risen the federal minimum wage to ten dollars and ten cents which was a key issue. The republican house of representatives does not condone the rise of minimum wage. They believe that the rise of money flowing into people’s pockets will not cause easier living conditions ("A $15 Minimum Wage Is a Terrible Idea." 01).

Proponents of raising the minimum wage claim that if the minimum wage was raised, then many economic and social problems would be alleviated. This contention is at odds both with economic principles and years of creditable research. The effect of raising or even having a minimum wage has been studied extensively and the majority of studies have proven that raising a minimum wage does not have the desired effect. Both micro and macroeconomic forces affect the results of raising the minimum wage. The secondary effects of raising the minimum wage are bad both for