Minimum Wage Increase Analysis

If you can’t provide for yourself making the current minimum wage, then there is something wrong. Do the math, and don’t forget to include the new Obama Care required health care insurance that you will need to add to your monthly expenses, because most minimum wage jobs do not provide insurance. In the past, when minimum wage has been increased people making over minimum wage also received an increase. I was one of those people who received the raise the last three times minimum wage was raised. I was thrilled to be told by human resources, that I was getting another raise after I already received my yearly raise. Nevertheless, minimum wage has not been raised since 2005, here it is 2013, and the prices of goods has increased significantly in the last 3 years alone. The higher price in fuel has increased the cost of goods and services already, yet the current minimum wage has yet to increase. How are we supposed to provide for ourselves?

Many Americans work solely to pay for food, electricity, and housing. In response to this “nearly 30 states have raised their minimum wage to combat job loss, poverty, and economic inflation.” (http://www.pewresearch.org). This just goes to show that more than two thirds of the country are willing to raise their wages, because the local government thinks that it is absolutely necessary in order to allow people to live sustainably. States such as California have raised their wages up to as high as $15.00! Raising the minimum wage has helped many people begin to start to live healthy lives, and it provides a way for families to expend for necessities if they work at or near minimum wage,

There are a lot of people around the world who struggle with money and a satisfactory way of life. Whether they be in the United States or across the globe, there is a standard minimum wage set for the working class of their country. In the Unites States, there is a federal minimum wage of seven dollars and twenty five cents per hour worked. Almost every state has another set minimum wage, which typically is a little higher than the federal minimum wage, but it cannot be lower than seven dollars and twenty five cents. Countries set minimum wage laws, to ensure there is a basic quality of life amongst its citizens. As the minimum wage goes up in certain states, the quality of life also improves. The problem with a higher minimum wage, is now people are getting paid higher for entry level jobs which are meant for teenagers and people new to the workforce. If the minimum wage keeps increasing across the country, teenagers and young adults will have a much more difficult time finding jobs.

The minimum wage debate has been a hot topic over the past year, especially with the Presidential Election. This is a divisive topic that people rarely agree upon. There are essentially two sides you can take when it comes to this argument. Either people are for minimum wage or are against raising, or even having, a minimum wage. Proponents of the minimum wage are typically politicians who are lobbying for the vote of the people who feel that a minimum wage is critical to their wellbeing, and those who sympathize with people who earn “minimum wage”. Minimum wage is destroying America’s free market economy and someone needs to take action and find a better solution to this problem. Without anyone acting on this problem now, it can potentially be worse in the long run. Raising the minimum wage in the United States will do more harm than good to society because of the long-term effects.

Ira Knight, who is an author of article “Let’s Make the Minimum Wage a Living Wage”, expresses an opinion that increasing the minimum wage would help all struggling workers and at the same time improve U.S economy. On the other side, Janice Steele in her article “Keep the Minimum Wage Where It Is” argues that raising the minimum wage would have bad effects on workers, consumers and small businesses. Ira Knight’s article seems to be the stronger of the two positions because her arguments are based on several recent studies, and last but not least, she had a personal experience with the minimum wage job.

minimum wages are struggling to live on a salary that is below the poverty threshold. In 2012, the U.S census posted that in a family of three; their income is 18,552, (U.S Census). In most case, one member of the family is working on a minimum wage salary which is below 18,552, (U.S. Dept. of Labor). It has been almost a five years since congress has raised the minimum wage (Huff Post). Throughout my argument, I will share my thoughts as wells as facts on why congress should agree to raise the minimum wage. We

Have you ever thought about feeding a family and paying the necessary bills on $7.25 per hour? If you answer “no,” then think about this. With this type of salary you could not cover your rent in most parts of the United States, much less feed your family. In this day and time this feat cannot be achieved without raising the minimum wage. If our current government does not raise the minimum wage than a person earning minimum wage would need to work two or three jobs just to keep up with inflation.

WOW! The world’s economy has been down for so long that many people have lost their jobs, and became homeless. Which led the United States economy to drop making poverty rate numbers increase drastically since 1938. Many people strive to make a living for their families but it’s very hard to do so if they have no financial income coming in to provide for their families. Which for many families has to be the most devastating thing ever knowing that you can’t provide enough money for your family to survive the proper way. Which is why many people all across the United States believe that minimum wage should be raised. Furthermore, minimum

According to the Department of Labor, our federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. With this statistic, that measures to the average 40 hour per week worker earning just over fifteen thousand dollars per year, falling well under federal poverty guidelines for a single person in the United States. What this means to working class people is that we as a country value their labor, but not the worker behind the labor. With regard to those working-class people who are paid our current minimum wage, the vast majority (9 out of 10) are over the age of twenty, and almost half of those workers are women. Since the last minimum wage increase in 2009,

Now in United States many workers are protesting businesses to higher minimum-wage to an excessive amount of $12 -$15 dollars per hour. Businesses are already losing money over the change of minimum-wage which is causing many of businesses to fire people, over the circumstance of being in the edge of losing their businesses. If we higher minimum-wage our economy could worsen, we could experience loss of jobs, businesses running out of business, higher prices on merchandises. It’s something difficult to accept because a lot of things could change if you it gets higher, it’s good for people going from $7.25 – $10.00, but for the rest of the people already making a decent amount would make it difficult to live out of. Minimum-wage shouldn’t be raised do to loss of employment, company’s not being able to pay their current amount, plus having loss of jobs, which would be harder to find in the future for employees.

Some people say that when we raise our minimum wage our economy inflates, and the price change would be pointless. Yet when our economy constantly shifts from depression to economic boom, the average worker needs a money cushion. Living on paycheck to paycheck is not a healthy lifestyle, and is in complete contrast to the American Dream. As a high school student working on minimum wage, most people think that $7.25 is plenty for a teenager, when in actuality it is not. Although opponents can argue that “most minimum wage workers are not trying to support themselves, but are living in households where their living expenses are largely provided for,” says Beth Shulman, this is not the case. “Half of fast-food workers during the 2010-12 were 23 or over,” according to John Schmitt from the Center of Economic Policy Research. Most of these workers probably clock-in two minimum jobs, and are struggling to make it paycheck to paycheck, never getting the chance to pay off their debts, to take personal vacations, or to live the American Dream.

Prices of goods and services are already increasing much faster than they should be. “ A cup of coffee for example, could increase 10-20%,(“Minimum wage pro-con.org”1)” procon.org stated. Ten to twenty percent is outrageous, imagine if everything costed that much more nobody would be able to afford anything. They also later stated a fact that they had heard from companies, “ Food product could be reduced up to 70% in size, (“Minimum wage pro-con.org”1)” that would be like ordering a burger now for the same price and only getting a tiny slider instead, that definetly is not a benfit by any means. Procon.org also found out, “According to a survey done by the University of Purdue if the minimum wage was increased between 15-22 dollars would increases prices from anywhere to 4.3% price increase to 25%” (“Minimum wage pro-con.org” 5). That's hard to wrap your head around, even at the low end of a 4.3% price increase that would be outrageous, not to mention it could be

Those living in the United States of America are experiencing some economically dark times. Unemployment is becoming increasingly worse. Social programs are failing. Prices everywhere are on the rise as wages are declining drastically. Class division has never been more distinct. Of those lucky enough to have secured the multiple jobs needed in order to maintain their subsistent existences, most make only a minimum wage, established by their state’s laws, which is then harshly taxed upon. Life is hard enough in our dying superpower of a nation, but even worse for the work force of America that must survive on minimum wage. It is an offending disappointment that our fellow countrymen and women must live the way they do. This raises a

One of the problems with the current minimum wage is inflation. In order to keep up with inflation, we need to increase the minimum wage. The minimum wage in 1968 was 1.60 dollars per hour, which is equivalent to 11.16 dollars per hour in January 2016 dollars and which is 53.9 percent higher than today’s 7.25 dollars per hour federal minimum wage (US Department of Labor and “Inflation Calculator”). That is staggering to see that the minimum wage should be 53.9 percent higher than today’s minimum wage. Also, between July 2015 and the last increase in the minimum wage in 2009, the federal minimum wage lost 8.1% of its purchasing power to inflation (US Department of Labor and Drew DeSilver). That means that people working on the current minimum wage can’t buy products they want, or even worse, need. Liana Fox,

The minimum wage was established after people became so poor from the Great Depression, that laborers could be unfairly paid next to nothing. One cause for the fight of the minimum wage is because most Americans are not able to afford adequate housing with their current pay, working full time. Because of this, Americans with sufficient income are fighting back to this idea, claiming that it will create a large loss of jobs. This could be true, but there is no clear evidence of it. The minimum wage needs to be raised as soon as possible. If not, the poverty will increase as the costs of housing go up, as the income amounts remain the same.