Minimum wage is the least amount of money one can legally work for per hour. It has been in action since 1938 when the first federal minimum wage was set at twenty-five cents (Kertz, n.p). This was proposed by President Franklin Roosevelt following the Great Depression. Minimum wage is a very controversial topic and people have been debating on whether it should be increased or remain the same. It should be increased from $7.25 to a more livable wage. It should increase because $7.25 is not a livable wage, a higher minimum wage will help the government reduce the amount of welfare they give out, and because a higher minimum wage will reduce the unemployment rate.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law that established the minimum …show more content…
A livable wage is the amount of money a family needs to survive and take care of themselves. There are educated men and women who have graduated from college and are trying to make ends meet with minimum wage. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over a third of Americans have degrees. This is the highest number ever recorded. Out of those Americans with degrees, 7.9% of them are working minimum wage jobs. (Wilson, n.p). There are also parents that have immigrated to the United States in hopes of a better future for their children but they are barely surviving on minimum wage, therefore, many have more than one job. The cost of living has also skyrocketed so it is not feasible for anyone to survive in today’s society with minimum wage. Minimum wage should equal or be more than the cost of living. It does not make any sense for it to be lower than the standard of living. Even a small increase would benefit those who work too hard for too little just to make ends …show more content…
Ben Cardin, the U.S Senator of Maryland have stated, “Every time we’ve increased the minimum wage, we’ve seen a growth in jobs, not a loss of jobs.” This is simply saying that ever that since the increase in minimum wage, there has been a growth throughout the job industry. The probability of someone depending on welfare will start to increase if one is making $7.25 an hour. People rely on welfare because minimum wage is just inadequate to benefit anyone as it doesn't fit both bills and family. People also rely on welfare because people know that it will help cover healthcare, childcare, and the resources a family needs to survive. Someone on welfare is a worry-free person; they are basically living the dream life because they get about $20 per hour which is much better than what many people make. Why would anyone want to make their living conditions better and get off of welfare when they are getting more money than they would get if they actually worked for a job?
Raising the minimum wage will help get people out of poverty. Heather Boushey (Executive Director and Chief Economist of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth)
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law that established the minimum …show more content…
A livable wage is the amount of money a family needs to survive and take care of themselves. There are educated men and women who have graduated from college and are trying to make ends meet with minimum wage. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over a third of Americans have degrees. This is the highest number ever recorded. Out of those Americans with degrees, 7.9% of them are working minimum wage jobs. (Wilson, n.p). There are also parents that have immigrated to the United States in hopes of a better future for their children but they are barely surviving on minimum wage, therefore, many have more than one job. The cost of living has also skyrocketed so it is not feasible for anyone to survive in today’s society with minimum wage. Minimum wage should equal or be more than the cost of living. It does not make any sense for it to be lower than the standard of living. Even a small increase would benefit those who work too hard for too little just to make ends …show more content…
Ben Cardin, the U.S Senator of Maryland have stated, “Every time we’ve increased the minimum wage, we’ve seen a growth in jobs, not a loss of jobs.” This is simply saying that ever that since the increase in minimum wage, there has been a growth throughout the job industry. The probability of someone depending on welfare will start to increase if one is making $7.25 an hour. People rely on welfare because minimum wage is just inadequate to benefit anyone as it doesn't fit both bills and family. People also rely on welfare because people know that it will help cover healthcare, childcare, and the resources a family needs to survive. Someone on welfare is a worry-free person; they are basically living the dream life because they get about $20 per hour which is much better than what many people make. Why would anyone want to make their living conditions better and get off of welfare when they are getting more money than they would get if they actually worked for a job?
Raising the minimum wage will help get people out of poverty. Heather Boushey (Executive Director and Chief Economist of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth)