The Benefits Of Minimum Wage

Raising the minimum wage is a very important public policy issue. Raising the minimum wage is a responsible policy that is supported by research and demanded by the American public. Each day, minimum wage workers across the country struggle to make ends meet and provide a decent life for their kids (Scott & Perez, 2016). Raising the minimum wage is a controversial issue, many believe that raising the minimum wage would only provide low wage workers more money to spend. However, the benefits can be endless for low wage workers. If minimum wage is increased across the United States it would afford the people effected more opportunities for financial freedom. Increasing the minimum wage would raise the standard of living for low wage workers, allow families to be removed from poverty, allow for government welfare spending to be reduced and lastly additional income being spent would positively affect the economy.

Picture this: You are a single parent of two, you work 40 hours a week plus occasional overtime at a minimum wage paying job, you struggle to put food on the table to feed your family, and then you receive a call from the bank saying that your home is being foreclosed. This is the situation faced by thousands of Americans every year due to low income and wealth inequality. The federal minimum wage (FMW) as of April 2014 is $7.25, which is not enough to keep a family of two above the poverty line. There are certain questions on this topic that should be addressed, such as why is poverty and wealth distribution an issue in the United States today? Should the FMW be raised and why? How would raising the FMW affect American families? What are

There are 156. 4 million people in the US workforce, however 5.2% of those are unemployed. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour; however, each state has its own laws regarding minimum wage and the amount can be higher or lower than the federal minimum, but the employee receives the higher of the two (2015). A higher minimum wage means that employers are less apt to hire someone. Some experts explain this by saying that if an employer values the job at a lower wage per hour than the minimum wage set by the government, then the employer is less likely to hire someone to fill that role. The employer only wants to hire someone when that person will be able to generate some sort of value for the company and positively affect the bottom line. Another problem with a high minimum wage is that potential employees are less likely to want to work if they are able to receive unemployment benefits from the government that will almost equal that which they would receive from working a minimum wage job (Gillikin).

In our modern society one of the seemingly least controversial topics is the minimum wage. The popular opinion wants to raise the minimum wage, but is the popular opinion always right? Throughout recent years, politicians have made promises to raise the minimum wage to help low-income earners live a better life. Contrary to popular belief, raising the minimum wage actually hurts low-income earners and low-skilled workers. We must first define a low-skilled worker. A low-skilled worker does not mean that particular employee is not intelligent; it simply refers to a worker who cannot perform as efficiently due to low educational attainment. Through this paper, I hope to inform you, Mr. Randall L. Stevenson, and our company, AT&T, about the disadvantages of raising the minimum wage.

The idea of minimum wage is that workers are guaranteed enough money to live off of. The price of minimum wage is determined by the state, but a federal minimum wage is set. Some states choose to go above the minimum wage, while others, such as Alabama and Louisiana, choose to not have minimum wage at all (Root). Minimum wage is important to society, because it can affect many people’s lives. There are many pros and cons to having minimum wage in the United States. Furthermore, various stakeholders are also impacted by this policy in numerous of ways. Minimum wage is a microeconomics and macroeconomic problem that has many consequences. Therefore, minimum wage has been a great economic issue because of people’s support and opposition to the policy.

Recorded in 2015, average living wage has been recorded at $11.87, as the minimum wage would’ve been if Congress had adjusted it for inflation over the past 35 years. While $7.25 may not seem that bad, when factoring some general expenses. Giving into consideration for the general public the biggest reason the minimum wage should be increased is the dramatic heights which gas prices have been shooting up again. Due to our national situations, gas prices have risen to nearly three dollars a gallon. Say one person were making the minimum wage amount third of their money goes to their gas tank. Unless such person lived precisely close to their job, it’s proven to be very costly. About 7.3 million personnel in the United States would value from an increases in the minimum wage. Almost 5,256,000 of those individuals, around 72%, are authorized drivers that could desperately use financial assistance with the rising prices and inflation. “The federal government is not living up to its responsibility so the states are acting,” (Senator

The wages as a waitress are always unfair, the sad part is it may never be fixed. I am a waitress myself I depend on my tips for my income it's hard to make a living off of just tips, it is ridclous actually. All the resturants I have worked at our wage is $2-4 dollars hour less than minimum wage!

Minimum wage is a huge controversy in the United States of America because some people say that the minimum wage is fair whereas others that say the contrary. There is a massive gap between the poor and the wealthy. The middle-class group are also nowhere near the wealthy class, instead they are just above the poverty level. As a matter of fact, research shows that the middle-class group is decreasing and now there is mainly, the poor and the wealthy group. It is clear that the minimum wage should be raised for it to be enough to live on and to reduce the poverty line.

Furthermore people cannot pay the bills and take care of themselves on minimum wage. Minimum wage often cannot pay adult bills. Although in the past the minimum wage was way below what is it today, consumer prices have increased a total of 482%. Even college tuition has gone up 994% in pricing than in 1970, and that’s only

Did you know minimum wage was $0.25 per hour in 1938? Since then it has raised to a whopping $7.25. Most readers will agree that there is a problem with this current minimum wage, considering the cost of living and salaries, Etc. However, they might not understand the complexity of the issue. In fact, the topic is not simply a question of if the minimum wage should be increased or kept the same, but more of a complex issue involving the different viewpoints on why people agree or disagree. Some reasons why people might agree is: decreasing poverty, increase in government aiding, and cannot afford basic needs. In opposition, opponents of the minimum wage might say it increases poverty, increases unemployment (specifically among unskilled or

Like I’ve said, the minimum wage in 2012 would have been $21.72 if it kept pace with the income growth, “goods and services have increased a lot but the minimum wage has remained low.” With minimum wage increasing workers will be able to own a home and support a family of four. Minimum wage staying where it currently is, working wouldn't be able to afford goods which would lead to an increase in poverty. Proponents of raising the minimum wage to a living wage argue that doing so would give workers and their families a better chance of climbing out of debt and poverty.” One of the most important reasons why the minimum wage will be a tremendous help to America is because it will decrease the unemployment rate and will help millions of people get out of poverty. Like Michael Reich informs that increasing the minimum wage will “lift nearly one million people out of poverty” and help them afford to have a roof over their head. When getting “a higher minimum wage, [it will] induce some automation and slightly higher prices, it [will] increase worker’s productivity and increase workers' purchasing power.” This is what increasing the minimum wage will do to minimum wage workers who are on the edge of going into poverty. Also, for productivity to improve, “a modest increase needs to happen which will reduce

In recent years, the demand for an increased minimum wage has erupted across the nation. During the ongoing debate, a few states, cities, counties, and companies have taken the initiative to raise the minimum wage of $7.25 per hour to the varying wages of $7.50-$11.50 per hour. According the United States Labor Department, 29 states and the District of Columbia pay above the minimum federal level of $7.25 per hour. The raising of the minimum wage has numerous supporters; however, there are individuals who are opposed. The analyzation of ethical theories, such as, utilitarianism, altruism, and egoism will be utilized to obtain a more significant understanding of the importance to raise the minimum wage to a livable wage.

“It is as important to examine what we forgo, as well as what we will get if we choose one alternative over another.” In other words, before a change is implemented into an economy, careful consideration of all other alternatives and their possible outcomes must be thoroughly examined. However, unforeseen outcomes often arise due to the imperfectability of humans.

Creating jobs, raising minimum wage, donating to the poor are not going to erase the poverty out of the United States of America. The government defines poverty as the bottom fifteen percent of annual income. No matter what one does to increase a person’s income there will always be someone in poverty. Across America there are always charities, religious groups, and civic clubs who are giving to the poor--from food giveaways, clothing giveaways, free tutoring, free health screenings, whatever else there is constantly something for the poor to benefit from. The problem is that people want to help, but if they are constantly giving the needy these items, services, or money, then are the poor becoming dependent? When will one person stop

Another argument for raising the minimum wage is that almost half of the states in the nation already have minimum wage rates that are higher than the federal minimum wage. This includes states with fairly large populations, like California and New York. Because the states that would be affected by raising the minimum wage generally have lower populations than those who would not be affected, the percentage of people who would gain is smaller, and the number of company’s who would suffer would also be smaller. If raising the minimum wage would affect at little less than half of the states, and mostly only states with lower comparative populations, then why not raise it?