Persuasive Essay On Minimum Wage

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.

Minimum wage, designed to lower the amount of people below the poverty line, doesn’t deliver the promises bundled along. Raising the minimum wage depends on the idea that mass majority of people who are living under the poverty line depend solely on the revenue obtained

The federal minimum wage was raised to $7.25 an hour by Congress in 2009, something that has been carried out only a handful of times since the establishment of the wage in the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938. Even with this modest rise in income, the minimum wage today does not provide for a decent standard of living. It has failed to keep pace with the wage growth of an average American worker. The minimum wage was intended provide a minimum standard of living; to aid in alleviating poverty and reward one for their work, however, in today’s economy, it fails to live up to these modest goal. Despite the fact that many adults and their families included depend on these wages to make ends meet there exists stiff opposition to any

“When’s our next meal?” asked a local eleven-year old boy to his mother, who works three jobs to provide for her four children. “I don’t know.” she responded back. Unfortunately, this is reality for some people in America. Despite the stereotype, the majority of people getting by on minimum wage are not teenagers in high school working part-time, but adults working full-time, often multiple jobs, to sustain their family. Raising the minimum wage would help people in need get out of poverty (and thus reduce inequality and help them afford basic essentials), spur economic growth and reduce federal spending, and keep up with inflation and productivity gains.

3.3% of Americans aged sixteen years or older earn at or below the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. With an estimated 45 million citizens living in poverty, I will attempt to prove why we must increase the minimum wage to at least $10.10 an hour. In this paper, I will discuss the history and definitions of poverty and minimum wage as well as the pros and cons of implementing a higher minimum wage. I will also examine the economic and social effects of the minimum wage and how it pertains to our day to day lives. In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established The Fair Labor Standards Act or FLSA as a part of The New Deal. With this, a federal minimum wage of $0.25 was introduced. The act also provided overtime pay, a maximum workweek of forty-four hours, recordkeeping requirements, and a restriction on child labor. Before its passage, one in four children were working sixty hours a week for a median salary of $4.00 per week. Over 700,000 workers were affected by the Fair Labor Standards Act and Roosevelt called it the most important legislation since the Social Security Act of 1935. (Grossman) Since its introduction, the minimum wage has been increased twenty-two times by twelve different presidents. (Bose) The act was specifically intended for those working in manufacturing. Only about 20% of the population was covered by the minimum wage law. Other industries were exempt from the law due to concerns that it would restrict employment. The FSLA faced judicial opposition from the very beginning and has never been without controversy. The National Association of Manufacturers or NAM, denounced the new laws as “a step in the direction of communism, bolshevism, fascism, and Nazism.” (Cole) Many politicians and merchants vehemently opposed the Act and considered it an attack on traditional American values. Roosevelt addressed this apprehension in a fireside chat where he is quoted as saying, “Do not let any calamity-howling executive with an income of $1,000.00 a day, who has been turning his employees over to the Government relief rolls in order to preserve his company’s undistributed reserves, tell you […] that a wage of $11.00 a week is going to have a disastrous effect on all American industry.” (Tritch)

Liana Fox, writer and member of the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute, analyzes some of the myths that surround the increase of minimum wage. The article describes the challenges families face living off of minimum wage and how many live below the poverty line. Fox goes on to say, “On average, families with affected workers rely on those workers for over half (59%) of the families’ total earnings. Nearly half (46%) of all families with an affected worker rely solely on the earnings of those workers.” This article provides statistics that I will use to argue my point that the minimum wage needs

The first Disagreement I would like to address is that “raising the minimum wage would take people out of poverty” I disagree with that. According to the United States department of labor, the first time minimum wage was raised was on October 24, 1938 to .25 (USDL). Business Insider records show that in1938 gas was.10 a gallon, eggs .18 per dz, a new house was only $3,900, and school tuition to Harvard was just $420.00, these were statistics before wage increase (Business insider). Looking at the prices from then until now there has been a big inflation to items we use every day. According to Bill Gitis from American action forum also states “Looking specifically at how minimum wage relates to poverty, only 0.3 percent of people in families with incomes below the relevant 2011 federal poverty lines worked an hourly job and made at or below the minimum wage. The minimum wage does not help people in poverty who actually work” (Bill Gitis, American action forum). In fact if the families from low income homes do not work how does this law help them get out of poverty?

    Minimum Wage, also known as the savior of middle class, is defined as the lowest amount the employer legally can pay their workers per hour. The minimum wage law was set to introduce new goals in mind and such laws were created to reinsure that . For instance, the federal law that was originally proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders back in 2015, Pay Workers A Living Wage Act involves a five-part process that will increase the minimum wage each year. It will be indexed into the median hourly wage which will also eliminate the tipped minimum wage. It is difficult to decided whether this law has enough power to be passed, but it has gained enough traction to at least be considered by the congress and Senate. However, the minimum wage controversy has become a topic of discussion for several years now thus turning into a nationwide discussion.  I believe the enforcement of minimum wage would protect the livelihood of workers who are working lower end jobs and living in poverty stricken neighborhoods. Also, the demographic of the workers should not play a factor in those are currently working

Minimum wage is typically favored by society and seen as a way to raise the incomes of those under or at the poverty level, but despite it’s good intentions it at its current levels it barely keeps many families out of poverty. (Sharp, et al., 2013., p. 76) According to the Pew Research Center the Federal when adjusted for inflation the minimum wage peaked in 1968 and has lost 8.1% of it’s purchasing power. (Desilver, 2015.) Though minimum wage is not an effective tool of improving distribution of income or necessarily a good anti-poverty tool. (Sharp, et al., 2013., pp. 87, 89) Despite a minimal increase in 2009 the minimum wage still does not reflect the change in inflation since the end of the 1960s and should rest around $12. (Desilver,

The minimum wage serves as a mechanism to mitigate poverty and income inequality in our economic system. It is a powerful tool in our society, ensuring that working individuals are receiving a fair wage for their labor. This law plays a huge role in American business and seeks to ensure that our capitalist economy is not benefitting from under compensating the workforce. There is a great deal of debate surrounding this topic in the political arena today, with polarizing opinions on both sides of the issue. Currently there is a movement to raise the minimum wage to $15 dollars across the country. Supporters argue that it reduces poverty and inequality while raising the living standards of a significant portion of our society. Opponents on the other hand see the minimum wage as an attack on small businesses, increased unemployment, and overreach on the part of our government. It is important to realize that raising the minimum wage will result in more positive outcomes than negative but it must be done gradually. It would boost consumer

Poor...struggling...hopeless...devastating. These are all words that describe a tragedy, and for many Americans in the recent recession, this was their life. It may still be. But, unlike in the Great Depression, the minimum wage is no longer appreciated as a means of assured wages, it is resented. People want more money. People want to thrive, instead of just survive. Unfortunately, just handing out more money is not the solution America is looking for. The article “Raising the Minimum Wage: The Effects on Employment, Business and Consumers” composed by the American Legislative Exchange Council thoroughly explains why the minimum wage shouldn’t be raised, and aims to open the eyes of Americans to the serious, hard evidence in order the remove

Today’s outdated minimum wage has far less buying power than it had in the 1960s. Stuck since 2009 at $7.25 an hour – just $15,080 a year – the minimum wage impoverishes working families and weakens the

A ragged man sleeps loudly on the couch, a woman holds her children tenderly with dreary eyes, and as the children sleep their stomachs grumble. A Household that has a working father, and mother should not have hungry kids, just because the parents are minimum wage workers. A Starving family should never be allowed in a first world country but as people and their families struggle to support themselves, emotions rage on while lawmakers try to find a universal consensus. The United States has managed to get itself into a massive, convoluted debate and as people head further into financial ruin, no clear answer has been found. Yes, minimum wage has proven itself a topic that is especially tricky to deal with, as hard facts act both ways for evidence. Even though minimum wage would increase the livelihoods for many, if it is done as improperly as it has been, the ramifications will be nearly impossible to correct. Even though advocates for minimum wage have several valid points, the actual outcome of doing such, has the potential to have major setbacks for both American society and its economy.

There’s a growing debate in America that could potentially threaten the strength of our currently thriving economy. This debate has already been won by the opposition in a few cases and negative results have already been presented. As of late 2015, fourteen cities and states had approved the law allowing for minimum wage to raised to fifteen dollars (“14”). Many of these areas have already seen the detrimental effects of raising the minimum wage. This is an issue that truly affects all Americans and until politicians can arrive at the conclusion that $15 is dangerously high, America’s economy may be in jeopardy. In an attempt to predict the outcome of minimum wage being increased to fifteen dollars we must first understand the purpose of a minimum wage job, predict what might happen to the price of goods, and understand that many jobs will be replaced.

The minimum wage is supposed to protect Americans; however at 7.25 an hour most Americans don’t feel secure. The Editorial Board explains minimum wage is “a fundamental labor standard designed to protect workers, just as labor laws and overtime rules do,” not just “the lowest legal hourly pay.” If minimum wage had risen with inflation through the past 50 years, the current minimum wage would be about 19 dollars an hour (Chen). Although, 19 dollars may be too unrealistic something needs to be done. Even just a few dollars would help tens of millions of American employees. Some argue the other government programs are helping American enough, but these substaties can actually lower wages. This is because, “Employers who pay factor the government assistance into their wage scales” (The Editorial Board). People are struggling to make ends meet and provide for their families because the minimum wage is so low. In some parts of the U.S. people would need to make triple the amount of minimum wage just to cover basic needs (Chen).