The Benefits Of Minimum Wage

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.

Although America is known as the richest country in the world, 43 million of its citizens are in poverty. Unfortunately, some of them work full time, yet are still in poverty due to the low minimum wage (“Should We Raise”). In 1928, the first federal minimum wage of 25 cents per hour was set by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to prevent workers from being underpaid. Since 2009, the federal minimum wage has been $7.25 (Smith). The age old debate of whether or not to raise it is still going on in the US. The federal minimum wage should be increased to keep up with inflation, help support the poor, and stimulate the economy.

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.

Almost 8 million Americans work full time and still fall below the poverty line. Some argue that raising the minimum wage will only benefit the workers who may not need it. This argument is flawed, according to The Economic Policy Institute’s analysis, which shows that “most of the low wage workers live in low-wage households, and 84% of the workers in low-wage jobs are at least 20 years old.” (LA Times, Stern and Camden). In my point of view, anyone that shows up to work regularly and puts in quality hours should be

On July 24th, 2009, the United States of America raised the minimum wage to $7.25. However, six years later the minimum wage rage remains the same. It is time once again for the federal government to raise the minimum wage to spur the economy. Raising the minimum wage would help the American economy and the daily life of the citizens for a variety of reasons. The first topic is that it not only would help the people but it also would help the economy as a whole. The second topic is that companies are already raising the minimum wage because of the lack of money workers get. Finally the third supporting idea is that the states are also raising it over the federal minimum wage and also how can help poverty. There are many more topics on why the minimum wage should be raised but these reasons are the most important.

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

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 14% of the nation lives below the poverty line, the current population is 326,474,013, and 45,706,362 of the population lives in poverty every single day. One of the reasons why such a large chunk of the population is in poverty is because they are not being paid a reasonable salary for them to support themselves and their families. Raising the minimum wage can lead to problems, but gradual increases are made over time, it could be beneficial for millions of people around the nation. The positive effects of raising minimum wage is what makes it worth it. A raise in minimum wage can be beneficial; however, it must be a

If there is an increase in minimum wage, it will slowly pull people out of poverty. Poverty level for a single person is just under $12,000 per year, but for a household with two kids, it’s over $23,000 per year. At the current minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, a person’s annual salary would be about $15,000 per year. Also, since cost of living varies in different places in the country, the same minimum wage often does not even cover living expenses. Increasing the minimum wage to $9 per hour will lift 300,000 people from poverty. If increased to $10.10 an hour it will lift 900,000 people out of poverty and reduce the number of non-elderly living in poverty. Since young people are most likely to be working minimum wage jobs, they often face other issues associated with making minimum

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.

The average hourly pay in The United States is $25.73 (Table B-3). That is more than triple the minimum wage. If the minimum wage is increased, it would eliminate people’s incentives to improve. On top of that, inflation would occur, and poverty would virtually stay the same. In addition, raising the minimum wage would bring on hardship for small businesses. Of course, one may argue that the minimum should cover the cost of living, but people should have to work for their money. The minimum wage should not be raised in the United States.

“Most poor people earn more than minimum wage when they are working; their problem is not low wages. The problem comes when they are not working” (S. Joseph). Today’s level of pay for the minimum wage is not the problem, and raising it is not the solution. Furthermore, the only thing raising the minimum wage would do is to increase inflation. Inflation will raise all of the prices around us. Prices of gas, milk, and other necessities will increase to a level of which the minimum wage cannot withstand; again, we will be forced to raise it. With that being said, the only two probable solutions are to raise the work hours of the employees, or lower the cost of living; however, this will only be a temporary solution, workers must strive for

Millions of Americans live in poverty, unable to find high paying jobs to support themselves and their families. Common belief persists that paying a higher minimum wage would aid in lifting people out of poverty by giving those with low paying jobs a higher income, however the evidence suggests otherwise. As the 2016 race for the White House heats up, the minimum wage battle stands at the forefront of every economic discussion. The rhetoric between candidates within and across party lines intensifies by the day. While the debate over whether or not to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25/hour to $15/hour rages on, one side continues to stand out from the other.

Minimum wage is a struggle for many Americans and I believe it needs to be raised. The minimum wage of the United States is $7.25 an hour. It is a rate that isn’t letting many Americans live life comfortably. If the minimum wage was changed even a merely $3.75 it would change people’s lives and will let many people get by. The minimum wage of $7.25 has stayed the same since 2009 and there hasn’t been any effort by the government to change it. Many states have increased their minimum wage, but I hope that the minimum wage rises nationwide and not individually as states.

This essay will give an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the minimum wage. There are many different opinions about whether a national minimum wage is a good or a bad thing for our economy and people individually and by looking into various different resources and researching thoroughly, a conclusion will be drawn to hopefully provide a fair and unbiased review.