Federal Minimum Wage Should Be Raised - 877 Words

Recently, the call to raise the Federal minimum wage has gotten stronger. Some states have taken the initiative recently to raise their state minimum wage above the federal guidelines. Currently someone who makes $7.25 an hour working full time under the Federal minimum wage earns $15,080 annually before any taxes are taken out. Critics of the proposal to increase federal minimum wage believe that increased labor costs force businesses to cut jobs to make up for the decrease in profit (Mejeur). However, others believe an increase in federal minimum wage to even $9 an hour would impact 700,000 workers in North Caroline alone and have a positive GDP (Gross Domestic Product) impact of $495 million, which would help to grow the economy nationwide (Schoenbach). The federal minimum wage should be raised so that adults would not need to rely on government assistance programs to live above the poverty line. Raising the federal minimum wage allows individuals to be able to provide for themse lves and their families without the need for some type of government assistance. One report explains that families with workers only earning minimum wage rely on those workers for 59% of the families’ total earnings (Fox). Many people associate minimum wage jobs as starter jobs for high school students, but the reality is that the number of college graduates working in minimum wage jobs has more than doubled over the past five years. The majority of people who are earning minimum wage areShow MoreRelatedShould the Federal Minimum Wage Be Raised?900 Words   |  4 Pagessociety in the United States is complicating whether or not our nation should raise the federal minimum wage. Ranging from researchers who have been studying this incompatible topic throughout their entire lives to amateurs who simply expose their opinions without any logical reasoning to the public are still not able to come to an agreement for a stable minimum wage. Many citizens may assume that increasing the minimum wage, $7.25, an hour, by a couple dollars may not make a significant impact toRead MoreBenefits of Raising the Minimum Wage Essay614 Words   |  3 Pagesemployee who works year-round is less than $16,000 (about $15, 080) according to the current federal minimum wage (Rebuilding). To put into retrospect how out-dated the federal minimum wage is, consider that the minimum wage of 1956 amounted to exactly $7.93 in 2009 (Henderson). How progressive is it that our nation’s workers being paid less today than workers from the 50’s? The federal minimum wage should be raised in order to assist families out of poverty, to ensure the effort and loyalty of workersRead 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 w age? 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 MoreRaising the Minimum Wage, A Speech Outline Essay1465 Words   |  6 PagesRaising the minimum wage Introduction I. Attention Getter: Per capita, Idaho is ranked number one in the nation – Number one, when it comes to paying workers as little as possible. II. Topic Orientation: The U.S. Bureau of Labor estimates that 31,000 or 7.7 percent of all Idaho’s workers are paid the current national minimum wage of $7.25 an hour or less. (Maben) A. Idaho has the highest percentage of minimum-wage workers per capita of any state. (Maben) B. The overall povertyRead 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 MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised1395 Words   |  6 PagesIn today’s society, minimum wage is an issue. It’s whether or not it should be raised or lowered. This interests almost everyone due to the fact that everyone wants to make money and the amount should reflect the work and skills that are put in. The minimum wage is a major antijobs policy. First things first, the minimum wage buys a lot less than it used to. Only Congress can adjust the federal minimum wage, and it doesn’t necessarily increase with inflation. As a result, its buying power has diminishedRead MoreMinimum Wage During The Great Depression1419 Words   |  6 PagesThe Minimum Wage Battle In the United States, the minimum wage was passed during the Great Depression in 1938 to protect the buying power of normal workers in a period in which the â€Å"unemployment rate was still a very high 19 percent† (Sklar, 2009, p. 1). Since that time, there has been significant debate about the controversial topic of raising the federal minimum wage. The federal minimum wage law was created to eliminate unfair practices of sweat shops and manufacturing companies during this timeRead MoreMinimum Wage Needs A Change1184 Words   |  5 PagesDoherty Ms. Lee English 2 16 May 2017 Minimum Wage Needs A Change 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 increasesRead MoreMinimum Wage Persuasive Essay1106 Words   |  5 Pagesdeserve more than the federal minimum wage? If you said yes then perhaps you are unaware of the many negative effects surrounding a higher minimum wage and after reading this you will be educated on why the minimum wage should not be raised. In the beginning, the minimum wage was created with good intentions. It was originally established in 1938 and was $.25 an hour (Sessions). It was created to make sure that businesses would not take advantage over workers. While the minimum wag e was and still is aRead MoreMinimum Wage and Its Implications763 Words   |  3 PagesMinimum wage affects everyone. The current minimum wage is at $7.25 and President Obama announced that he wished to see a change in the minimum wage, he wants to raise the hourly wage to $10.10. A rise in the income of those who are employed will also raise the cost of hiring unskilled labor and can potentially reduce the number of people hired by businesses. Also, if minimum wage is raised then the price of the products that the companies are making might increase which will continue the cycle of