Jillian Tervo
Mrs. Sinn
Period 5
Persuasive Essay
13 October 2014
Modern Minimum Wage: to Raise It or Not to Raise It? What is minimum wage? It is the lowest legal amount an employer can pay their employee – which is $7.25 currently. The debate of whether or not the minimum wage should be increased has been occurring for years between working individuals of all types, on a personal and national level. Raising the minimum wage in America would help stimulate the economy, save the government money, create more jobs and bring many American citizens out of poverty. An increase in minimum wage would have multiple beneficial effects on individual workers and the economy.
“In short, a minimum wage increase would boost the wages of a diverse multitude …show more content…
“Increasing the federal minimum wage to $9.80 would give an additional $39.7 billion over the phase-in period to directly and indirectly affected workers, who would, in turn, spend these extra earnings” (Hall and Cooper). Low-wage workers are actually the most likely of any other income group to spend those extra earnings on necessities that were unaffordable to them in the past. These earnings encourage spending but do not add to any budget deficits. For instance, the minimum wage raise would create a greater demand for different types of services and goods, requiring employers to hire new staff to keep up with the demand and to stay in business. The new jobs (specifically, an estimated 100,000 new jobs would be created) and surplus income would help to speed up recovery from our economy's recent recession. Even though that seems like a very small number in comparison to the millions of unemployed Americans, it is a small step in the right direction for the economy and the consumers …show more content…
Many of these full-time workers continue to work without any type of paid sick days, health care, and other benefits. The majority of them are over 21 years of age, work full-time, and are struggling to provide for their families – this is why it is so important for employees to be able to support themselves without government aid. “They who feed, clothe, and lodge the whole body of the people should have such a share of the produce of their own labor as to be themselves tolerably well-fed, clothed, and lodged” (Smith). Because many employees are paid less than decent living wages, the government often provides them with public assistance services such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. The government spends roughly $7 billion annually on individual fast-food workers and their families. “A full-time worker making the current minimum wage ($7.25 an hour) earns just over $15,000 a year, almost 20% below the poverty line for a family of 3” (Commonweal). A raise in the minimum wage would allow American citizens to support themselves without additional aid, cutting costs for the government in the process. “No one who works full time in the richest country in the world should need to supplement her income with handouts, public or private”
Mrs. Sinn
Period 5
Persuasive Essay
13 October 2014
Modern Minimum Wage: to Raise It or Not to Raise It? What is minimum wage? It is the lowest legal amount an employer can pay their employee – which is $7.25 currently. The debate of whether or not the minimum wage should be increased has been occurring for years between working individuals of all types, on a personal and national level. Raising the minimum wage in America would help stimulate the economy, save the government money, create more jobs and bring many American citizens out of poverty. An increase in minimum wage would have multiple beneficial effects on individual workers and the economy.
“In short, a minimum wage increase would boost the wages of a diverse multitude …show more content…
“Increasing the federal minimum wage to $9.80 would give an additional $39.7 billion over the phase-in period to directly and indirectly affected workers, who would, in turn, spend these extra earnings” (Hall and Cooper). Low-wage workers are actually the most likely of any other income group to spend those extra earnings on necessities that were unaffordable to them in the past. These earnings encourage spending but do not add to any budget deficits. For instance, the minimum wage raise would create a greater demand for different types of services and goods, requiring employers to hire new staff to keep up with the demand and to stay in business. The new jobs (specifically, an estimated 100,000 new jobs would be created) and surplus income would help to speed up recovery from our economy's recent recession. Even though that seems like a very small number in comparison to the millions of unemployed Americans, it is a small step in the right direction for the economy and the consumers …show more content…
Many of these full-time workers continue to work without any type of paid sick days, health care, and other benefits. The majority of them are over 21 years of age, work full-time, and are struggling to provide for their families – this is why it is so important for employees to be able to support themselves without government aid. “They who feed, clothe, and lodge the whole body of the people should have such a share of the produce of their own labor as to be themselves tolerably well-fed, clothed, and lodged” (Smith). Because many employees are paid less than decent living wages, the government often provides them with public assistance services such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. The government spends roughly $7 billion annually on individual fast-food workers and their families. “A full-time worker making the current minimum wage ($7.25 an hour) earns just over $15,000 a year, almost 20% below the poverty line for a family of 3” (Commonweal). A raise in the minimum wage would allow American citizens to support themselves without additional aid, cutting costs for the government in the process. “No one who works full time in the richest country in the world should need to supplement her income with handouts, public or private”