The Minimum Wage Should Be Raised

The minimum wage was presented in 1938 during The Great Depression, starting at 25 cents per hour. Increasing over time, now at $7.25 since July 24, 2009 (Troubled Passage). Both having the same purpose of helping the American people out of poverty, and yet we are still in the same position. So it’s hard to believe why people still assume raising the wage is the best answer to solve the problem. But, with all the evidence presented we are hurting the people we are supposed to help, and given that why, should we make the same mistake of raising the minimum wage. People who are for raising the wage may argue that the inflation has not kept up with the minimum wage. According to Liana Fox, Swedish Institute for Social Research at the Stockholms …show more content…
Now it can’t keep a single parent above the poverty line” (Does The). Knowing this information, you might ask why haven’t we raised the minimum wage. But the reason for poverty in America is not because of minimum wage is low; it’s because of unemployment. Also, according to The Congressional Budget Office, “a single parent with one child earning between $15,000 to $25,000 experiences almost no financial benefit from working additional hours or getting a raise” (What Is). At the end the employee is making more money, but still losing something at the …show more content…
(Seattle’s). Experiencing some good, but also affecting them badly. Many small businesses are forced to increase their prices, and they also have to find a way to maintain balance with the supply and demand. Not only do they have to keep up with the rise of the minimum wage, they have to find ways to keep them in business. For example, Borracchini’s Bakery in Seattle, manager Remo Borracchin expresses, “We aren’t a large company with huge profits. As a small business the cost of labor is one of the main factors. Fifteen dollars an hour, that’s a lot of money to ask from a small business” (Seattle’s). This shows us the negative impact of the rise of minimum wage; how it’s affecting the employers. But it will also affect the employee, for the employer can’t afford their labor. Now that we have a better picture of the situation you can get a better idea of what’s best for the unskilled workers. Even though it sounds better to get paid more money the unskilled worker will be struggling even more. Jeffrey Clemens, Ph.D., in Economics and Michael Wither, Ph.D. in Economics analysis indicates, “increased wages and the decreased employment effectively cancel each other out, so that if one of the purposes of an increase in the