Reducing The Federal Minimum Wage - 2047 Words

The topic of increasing in the federal minimum wage has been hotly debated in Congress and between politicians and activists since the most recent increase to $7.25 in 2009. The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013 proposed a $10.10 federal minimum wage increase but failed in Congress, while a more recent proposition, the 2016 Raise The Wage Act, hopes to put wages at $12 per hour by the year 2020 (14). Propositions like these seek to allow lower-income working families to earn a living wage but they have faced resistance by conservatives. Stagnation of wages has caused various cities and states to spearhead minimum wage increases at a local level, with twenty-nine states now having wages higher than the federal minimum (13). Raising the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour would correct for years of deteriorating wage values and would pull hard-working families out of poverty while lessoning income inequality and boosting the economy from the bottom up with minimal costs to businesses. The current federal minimum wage is too low to allow people to earn a living wage and has failed to keep up with increases in inflation, productivity and economic growth in recent years. Wages have been fixed at $7.25 an hour since 2009, resulting in a 40 hour work week that allows one to earn only $15,000 a year, an amount that lies just barely above the poverty line (13). If the worker is responsible for children and works full-time to earn this amount, they drop below the poverty line. These lowShow MoreRelatedFederal Minimum Wage Should Be Raised877 Words   |  4 PagesRecently, 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 c osts force businesses to cut jobs to make up for the decrease in profit (Mejeur).Read MoreMinimum Wage And Fight Income Equality On Numerous Occasions1470 Words   |  6 PagesPresident Obama has expressed his desire to raise the minimum wage and fight income equality on numerous occasions. On January 20, 2015, president Obama made the following statement in his State of the Union Address: Of course, nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages†¦and to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this: if you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go try it. If not, vote to giveRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of The Minimum Wage1282 Words   |  6 PagesMinimum Wage Should the government raise minimum wage? Should the government lower or keep the current minimum wage? Minimum wage is a very controversial topic when it is discussed between all parties. For those arguing for minimum wage increase believe that it will bring people living below the poverty line above it. Former President Obama stated, â€Å" no one working forty hours deserves to be living in poverty.† For those arguing against the raise on minimum wage believe that it has more negativeRead MoreMinimum Wage1535 Words   |  7 PagesThe standard minimum wage level has been a controversy over its insufficient wages set for working class Americans. The minimum wage was established to protect unskilled workers from being exploited by employers’ low pay. Introducing the minimum wage provided stabilization in the workplace, but as the cost of living increases, working Americans are demanding a livable wage. In the recent past, the American dream fadedness changed the w ay Americans view the economy. For many wageworkers, the AmericanRead MoreRaising The Minimum Wage1037 Words   |  5 PagesRaising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 is not a good idea. The unintended consequences that would come about as a result is reason enough to shy away from such a proposal. Those who support an increase contend that it will alleviate poverty. Suppose these advocates are right and a spike in the minimum wage does reduce poverty for some fortunate workers. This positive development will be offset because an increase in the minimum wage will further price out inexperienced workers from the jobRead MoreMinimum Wage Laws For The United States Essay1742 Words   |  7 PagesThe minimum wage is the mandated price floor paid on hourly or daily basis for the employees regulated by the government or the union. In â€Å"Federal Minimum Wage†, New Zealand and Australia enacted the first minimum wage law during the late 19th century to prevent employersâ€⠄¢ exploitation of workers. In 1912, Massachusetts passed the first minimum wage legislation in the US that was enforced for women and children, and fifteen more states followed in the next eleven years. However, the Supreme CourtRead MoreMinimum Wage Does Not Impact The Poverty Rate600 Words   |  3 PagesMinimum Wage Does Not Impact The Poverty Rate The Working Poor Gain Little Other than Protection In the 1930’s, during his second term as president, Franklin Roosevelt fought for and constructed many versions of legislation to end the exploitation of women and children. Finally on October 24, 1938 the Fair Labor Standards Act became effective. The Act limited the hired workers to be no less than sixteen, the work week to no more than forty hours and the minimum wage to be twenty-five cents anRead MoreEssay on The Debate over Raising the Minimum Wage1502 Words   |  7 PagesThe 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 povertyRea d More The Negative Effects of Raising the Minimum Wage Essay1552 Words   |  7 PagesIf we took away the minimum wage, we could wipe out unemployment completely because we would be able to offer jobs at every possible skill level. -- Michele Bachmann Proponents of raising the minimum wage claim that if the minimum wage was raised, then many economic and social problems would be alleviated. This contention is at odds both with economic principles and years of creditable research. The effect of raising or even having a minimum wage has been studied extensively and theRead MoreThe Effects Of Raising The Minimum Wage1311 Words   |  6 PagesThe Negative Impacts of Raising the Minimum Wage While the debate over the effects of raising the minimum wage continues, there are countless studies and statistical data to support both sides of this controversy. Often the negative impacts of these wage increases are overshadowed by those who want to help the working class who live at or below the poverty level. Do these increases actually help the ones that they were intended to help? What are the negative impacts on the rest of the working class