The Struggles Of Low-Wage Workers
Alisa Ruiz
SOC300 – Working In Modern Society
Colorado State University – Global Campus
Miss Hill
March 25, 2016 The Struggles Of Low-Wage Workers
Living in luxury is seemingly becoming a harder to achieve dream than ever before. The poverty levels are increasing and a big reason for this happening is a large amount of available work for minimum wage. These wages are far from being living wages, leaving families falling below the poverty line, leading to the need for government assistance. The jobs available that could pull these families out of poverty can be hard to come by, and it’s not always a matter of people not having a will to work. In an ever changing world, jobs that were highly in demand …show more content…
Nearly 70 percent of people receiving government assistance are non-elderly people who work and nearly half of the working recipients work a 40 hour work week. (Cooper, 2016) Providing for a family is tough enough to begin with for some of these families, let alone attempting to gain an education to help further their own careers. One's work ethic and feeling of self-worth could be affected by these low wages. If the minimum wage were increased, or regular wage increases based on work performance could help provide that little extra something the families may need to get their heads above water. With a decline of unions nationwide, the working force of America finds themselves settling into a job for the security of having one due to the inability to negotiate for better work conditions including pay. Making the decision to keep these wages low will only have a negative on these people's lives. A change as simple as allowing people to participate in company training programs could help utilize the ambition of people willing to step up into more …show more content…
(n.d.). Balancing paychecks and public assistance: How higher wages would strengthen what government can do. Retrieved March 27, 2016, from http://www.epi.org/publication/wages-and-transfers/ http://poverty.ucdavis.edu/policy-brief/low-wage-work-uncertainty-often-traps-low-wage-workers
Peck, E. (n.d.). The Class Of 2015 Is In For A Rude Awakening On Pay. Retrieved March 27, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/12/college-grad-starting-salary_n_7265090.html http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2015/05/08/congratulations-class-of-2015-youre-the-most-indebted-ever-for-now/
Spangler, C. (2015). Low Wages Are Leaving Millions Of Workers Behind, Keeping The Poverty Rate At Recession Levels. Retrieved March 27, 2016, from
Alisa Ruiz
SOC300 – Working In Modern Society
Colorado State University – Global Campus
Miss Hill
March 25, 2016 The Struggles Of Low-Wage Workers
Living in luxury is seemingly becoming a harder to achieve dream than ever before. The poverty levels are increasing and a big reason for this happening is a large amount of available work for minimum wage. These wages are far from being living wages, leaving families falling below the poverty line, leading to the need for government assistance. The jobs available that could pull these families out of poverty can be hard to come by, and it’s not always a matter of people not having a will to work. In an ever changing world, jobs that were highly in demand …show more content…
Nearly 70 percent of people receiving government assistance are non-elderly people who work and nearly half of the working recipients work a 40 hour work week. (Cooper, 2016) Providing for a family is tough enough to begin with for some of these families, let alone attempting to gain an education to help further their own careers. One's work ethic and feeling of self-worth could be affected by these low wages. If the minimum wage were increased, or regular wage increases based on work performance could help provide that little extra something the families may need to get their heads above water. With a decline of unions nationwide, the working force of America finds themselves settling into a job for the security of having one due to the inability to negotiate for better work conditions including pay. Making the decision to keep these wages low will only have a negative on these people's lives. A change as simple as allowing people to participate in company training programs could help utilize the ambition of people willing to step up into more …show more content…
(n.d.). Balancing paychecks and public assistance: How higher wages would strengthen what government can do. Retrieved March 27, 2016, from http://www.epi.org/publication/wages-and-transfers/ http://poverty.ucdavis.edu/policy-brief/low-wage-work-uncertainty-often-traps-low-wage-workers
Peck, E. (n.d.). The Class Of 2015 Is In For A Rude Awakening On Pay. Retrieved March 27, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/12/college-grad-starting-salary_n_7265090.html http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2015/05/08/congratulations-class-of-2015-youre-the-most-indebted-ever-for-now/
Spangler, C. (2015). Low Wages Are Leaving Millions Of Workers Behind, Keeping The Poverty Rate At Recession Levels. Retrieved March 27, 2016, from