Minimum Wage Should Be Raised Essay - 2275 Words

A reoccurring topic in most political debates is whether minimum wage should be raised or not. Many say $7.25 is simply not enough for a family to survive in our economy. President Obama has taken a strong stance on this topic encouraging congress to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour considering we live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Obama argues that one working full time can simply not afford to raise a family on $15,000 a year. Typically, Democrats will side with our president and argue that raising the wage is a good idea, white Republicans will disagree saying minimum wage will destroy business and hurt working class families. Some may see this as a political issue, but I say this topic is simply common sense. Minimum wage should not be raised due to higher labor costs and a higher volume of unemployment. On June 25, 1938 President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Fair Labor Standards Act is a law made to establish a federal minimum wage, overtime pay, and youth employment standards. Since 1938 the federal minimum wage has been raised 22 times. States are allowed to set their own individual minimum wage laws, and under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers are required to abide by state wage laws. According to The Negative Effects of Minimum Wage Laws â€Å"Currently forty-five states and the District of Columbia have individually set their own minimum wage, of which eighteen are higher than $7.25 an hour. Only fiveShow MoreRelatedMinimum Wage Should Be Raised?958 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum Wage Louis Montgomery III English Composition 101 Mrs. Blackwell April 23, 2015 Minimum Wage Do minimum wage jobs help pay the bills? Do minimum wage jobs support the family? Should minimum wage be raised? Will raising the minimum wage reduce poverty? The idea of minimum wage jobs is to help people get work experience without having any skills. Most minimum wage jobs include fast food restaurants and grocery stores. Minimum wageRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?1062 Words   |  5 Pagesever pressing question regarding Minimum wage. Not many subjects can ignite a controversy as quickly as that of whether or not minimum wage should be raised, or by how much should it be raised or if it should remain the same. What is minimum wage? By definition, minimum wage is the minimum hourly wage an employer can pay an employee for work. (â€Å"MinimumWage.com†) America’s minimum wage was first introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938. That minimum wage was introduced as part of the FairRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised? Essay1596 Words   |  7 Pagesgovernment has so generously termed the â€Å"minimum wage†. In Missouri, the minimum wage has been set at a rather appalling $7.65 per hour while in other states there are wages starting as high as $10. Though arguably the economy is not as sluggish and terrible as it once was, $7.65 per hour will not help those who have children, no college degree and debts to pay. It is not only Missouri that has minimum wage laws, but every other state in America has minimum wage laws in place. Both California and SeattleRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised1145 Words   |  5 PagesThe current minimum wage is $7.25, which equals two gallons of milk, one fast food meal or two gallons of gas. Can you imagine yourself working 12-hours a day and only having enough money to p ay for rent and put food on the table for your family? With working all those long hours, you can barely afford to pay your utility bills and after that you don’t have enough money or time for luxuries like clothing or vacation. You have no savings as matter of fact, you are in a huge debt and you are livingRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?870 Words   |  4 PagesShould Minimum Wage Be Raised? Minimum wage has always been a controversial issue. Many politicians use the argument of minimum wage for their own political propaganda. Some may argue minimum wage should be raised, while others believe it will have detrimental effects on our economy if it is raised. Surprising to most people, minimum wage earners make up only a small percent of American workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, minimum wage workers make up about 2.8% of all workersRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised935 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum wage is an ongoing debate in the United States. There are some people who think that it should be raised to a higher rate and others who think that it should not. There are many different pros and cons with raising minimum wage. Minimum wage is at a balanced rate that should not be raised due to lack of skill, low education, and economic problems. Jobs that require minimum wage are created for young adults who are in college or high school. They are to help one get one on their feet so thatRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised910 Words   |  4 Pagesmaximize the American Dream on the minimum wage† (Benjamin Todd Jealous). In 1938, minimum wage was created by the federal government in order to protect workers by ensuring a minimum of twenty-five cents per hour worked. Though President Roosevelt had the right idea in protecting the workforce, something needs to be done to ensure that Americans are getting a reasonable amount of money for the amount of hours they have worked. As Benjamin Todd Jealous stated, minimum wage is not enough for the averageRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Should Be Raised998 Words   |  4 Pagesprestigious job at such a young age. However that is not the case, if the minimum wage is raised to $15 an hour, a 16 year old could make $18,000 yearly working only 25 hours a week at McDonalds. Now for tee nagers that have goals for college or a car, that would money to set aside for the future, however most 16 year olds do not have those goals in mind yet, so that extra money turns into wasted money. As of February 2016 the minimum wage ranges anywhere from $7.25-$10 across the United States. Florida’sRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Not Be Raised863 Words   |  4 Pagesthan 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. If the minimum wage were to go up, peopleRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Should Not Be Raised858 Words   |  4 PagesRepublican presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, is of the opinion that the Minimum wage should not be raised. This is a large issue as the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 is not enough to support basic living costs in a fair number of states. Ted Cruz highlights the consequences of raising the minimum wage yet ignores the cons of it remaining static (Ted Cruz on the Minimum Wage). In an article in The Atlantic, the discussion of the cost of living is brought up. The article talks about how the