Minimum Wage Thesis

If this is indeed the case, the raising of the minimum wage does not positively affect the poor, but reduces the ability of the poor to purchase the necessary items needed to survive. If the employer must increase the wage of its entry-level workers, there is virtually no chance they will be increasing the wage of the workers just above the minimum wage level. Therefore, the increase in the minimum wage will reduce the buying power of the poor family by increasing the cost of goods required to

The United States has a history of changes to the minimum wage law. “Early in the administration of the FLSA (Fair labor Standards Act); it became apparent that application of the statutory minimum wage was likely to produce undesirable effects upon the economies of Puerto Rico and the Virgin islands .In 1949, the minimum wage was raised from 40 cents and hours to 75 cents an hour for all workers. A 1955 amendment increased the minimum wage to $1.00 an hour with no changes in coverage. The minimum wage increased to $2.00 an hour in 1974, and $2.10 in 1975, and $

In 1938, the first national minimum wage laws in the United States were passed as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which served as “a floor below wages,” to reduce poverty and to ensure that economic growth is shared across the workforce. Today, many people who work for companies that pay at or near the minimum wage and remain near or below the poverty level rely on government health and food security and income programs to supplement their living expenses. Since 1938, there have been many additional policies to the Fair Labor Standards Act that have changed many things, such as increasing the national minimum wage numerous times to the currently salary level, which was set in 1997. The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 was a policy to change the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 in three additions, which began in July of 2009. (http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/posters/minwagebwp.pdf)

Minimum wage was established on October 24, 1938 after President Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act. (Grossman) Minimum wage was set to allow working class citizens an opportunity to work a reasonable amount of hours for pay that would enable individuals to maintain a minimal quality life.

Between the year of nineteen twenty-nine and nineteen thirty-nine, The United States went through one of the worst economic downturn’s known as the Great Depression. The effects of the Great Depression caused many economic problems which sent wall street into a chaos. Ever since then Poverty has struck many middle and poor class families for years. Over time it has separated many families and caused those who are less fortunate to drain the wealthy. The minimum wage was created to keep many lives going. Although this is the case, minimum wage does not keep many people afloat, it has proven to be an issue and these wages need to be increased. Increasing minimum wage would increase economic activity, reduce poverty, and reduce government welfare spending. Fixing all of these will positively increase the economy and resolve our countries resounding debt.

Minimum wage is basically a wage that a company must pay the employee. This was put in place by the Fair Labor Standard Act in June 25, 1938 (Lal, 12)It was made for the workers in the mines, manufacturing, farms, and any other basic skill jobs. The wage itself was only 25 cents, which is roughly $4.04 in today’s money. Since that time it has been raised repeatedly and from this the cost of living has increased dramatically to follow it. (Lal, 13)

The modern minimum wage was established by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) Franklin Roosevelt signed the law which passed by an overwhelming majority (Grossman, 1978). While a minimum wage is certainly an altruistic idea and one that receives widespread public support, there is a question among economists such as Richard Burkhauser as to the effectiveness of minimum wage on reducing the level of poverty. “Minimum-wage increases (1998-2003) did not affect poverty rates overall, or among the working poor” (Burkhauser & Sabia, 2007). In addition, some of the minimum wage laws which came before the FLSA were challenged in the Supreme Court, such as in Schecter Poultry Corporate v. U.S in 1935, and declared unconstitutional. While there

The minimum wage wasn’t always as real as it is now it had steps to climb before it became to be. In 1912 a standard minimum wage was proposed but was seen as unconstitutional and so it was never passed. However, the reason behind the law not passing was because congress believed payment should be

Initially the minimum wage law was introduced to reduce poverty and inequality. Proponents of the Minimum wage do believe that these laws attain to these objectives. They do guarantee that the workers at the bottom level of the pay scale are being treated right and don’t get underpaid as the result of the belonging to a particular race or sex. They also guarantee that the workers are receiving a reasonable compensation from the employer (Cho, n.d.). The proponents of minimum wage also believe that it may have a positive reflection on the work ethics of the low-pay workers, thus it may benefit employers. It is also might encourage more people to join the workforce instead of trying to gain earnings by the means of unlawful methods, such as prostitution, selling narcotics

The history of the minimum wage goes back to 1938 when President Franklin D Roosevelt signed in to law the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA). Part of the act was the establishment of minimum wage of a $0.25 per hour in order to maintain a “minimum standard of living necessary for health, efficiency and general well-being, without substantially curtailing employment” (Act of June 25, 1938 (Fair Labor Standards Act), Public Law 75-718, 52 STAT 1060, n.d.). Fair Labor Standard Act of 1938 was implemented to solve two major economic issues at that time: protect the workers, and stimulate the economy suffering at that time from Great Depression. The federal government recognized the importance of financial stability among American citizens, and rebuilding the country’s economy at the same time.

In this dark period of our country, since many people were in poverty everyone in the house had to work there was no excuses.

The issue of minimum wage is not a new one to our society, American’s have fought for minimum wage continuously since it was introduced by “President Roosevelt on June 25, 1938 as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.” (Forbes) Workers have fought to keep the minimum wage in line with demand.

In 1938, the first national minimum wage laws in the United States were passed as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which served as “a floor below wages,” to reduce poverty and to ensure that economic growth is shared across the workforce. Today, many people who work for companies that pay at or near the minimum wage and remain near or below the poverty level rely on government health and food security and income programs to supplement their living expenses. Since 1938, there have been many additional policies to the Fair Labor Standards Act that have changed many things, such as increasing the national minimum wage numerous times to the currently salary level, which was set in 1997. The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, from the United States Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, was a policy to change the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 in three additions, which began in July of 2009. (U.S., 2009).

The concept of minimum wage in America has been a source of controversy for the past 80 years. Minimum wage is the least amount of money that employers can pay hourly employees per hour. Since its creation in 1938 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, it has been raised twenty-two times by twelve presidents. The concept of minimum wage was created with good intentions: increase the earning power of all workers and eliminate the exploitation of employees by employers. However, raising the minimum wage restricts social mobility, creates less job opportunities, causes little motivation in employees, and forces employers to either raise prices or fire employees.

The minimum wage was introduced for the first time in the 1890s in Australia and New Zealand and since then it has been a crucial component of public policy. It entered British market in 1909 and approximately 30% of U.S. states in the following two decades. After America’s introduction of the federal minimum wage law in the Fair Labour Standards Act in 1938, minimum wages have spread to a large number of industrialised countries as well as to some developing countries. Consequently, by the 1990s, over one hundred countries from all over the world accepted the law about minimum wage and the International Labour Organization has accepted it as an international labour standard. The minimum wage was introduced in order to combat the