Minimum wage is a constant debate, and people all over the United States have opinions on whether the government should raise it or leave it as it is. Given the economic state now, and the state of the country, it would make sense to have the government raise the federal minimum wage. The government uses price controls to determine what the lowest amount the average worker can be payed per hour. That rate is currently $7.25. However, this is too low for the times and it should be raised to a higher price for multiple reasons.
It is a common belief that minimum wage would primarily effect teenagers. That belief is wrong. Most people earning minimum wage are adults, many of whom have families they need to provide for. In fact, about 88% of adults over the age of twenty make up the number of people who would receive an increase in pay if there were to be a minimum wage raise ("Minimum Wage"). Minimum wage is not enough money for one person to live above poverty. Therefore if that person earns minimum wage and must also provide for a family, they have no chance of leaving poverty. An increase of the minimum wage would help hundreds of thousands of people leave poverty. Therefore the minimum wage should be raised.
Another reason the minimum wage should be raised is because the value has not kept up with the times. The value of the minimum wage has fallen sharply in present years. In the sixties the minimum wage was $1.60 an hour. Now had that value changed with the rest of the economy, that wage would now be about $10.90 ("Minimum Wage"). $7.25 is much lower than that, and it is unjust to pay workers less than they should be receiving.
Some might say that the government should not raise the minimum raise because it will cause a shortage of jobs (Weiner). Unemployment is feared to be an outcome of raising the minimum wage because employers might not have enough money to keep everyone employed. However, as of now, there is already a shortage of jobs since many people across the United States are out of work. Plus, history shows that not only will raising the minimum wage not cause unemployment, but it is very likely that companies may hire more workers (Reich). That's not saying there will be a surplus of jobs, just that raising the minimum wage could bring even more people into the work force and out of poverty. The reason for this is because when the minimum wage is raised all those workers go home with more money. They then turn around and spend that money on goods and services, returning it to the businesses who must pay the higher minimum wage. Those businesses then make a higher profit, and have the money available to pay the new wages.
Therefore the government should raise the minimum wage to a higher value. It will help raise people above the poverty line, and could even create more jobs.
It is a common belief that minimum wage would primarily effect teenagers. That belief is wrong. Most people earning minimum wage are adults, many of whom have families they need to provide for. In fact, about 88% of adults over the age of twenty make up the number of people who would receive an increase in pay if there were to be a minimum wage raise ("Minimum Wage"). Minimum wage is not enough money for one person to live above poverty. Therefore if that person earns minimum wage and must also provide for a family, they have no chance of leaving poverty. An increase of the minimum wage would help hundreds of thousands of people leave poverty. Therefore the minimum wage should be raised.
Another reason the minimum wage should be raised is because the value has not kept up with the times. The value of the minimum wage has fallen sharply in present years. In the sixties the minimum wage was $1.60 an hour. Now had that value changed with the rest of the economy, that wage would now be about $10.90 ("Minimum Wage"). $7.25 is much lower than that, and it is unjust to pay workers less than they should be receiving.
Some might say that the government should not raise the minimum raise because it will cause a shortage of jobs (Weiner). Unemployment is feared to be an outcome of raising the minimum wage because employers might not have enough money to keep everyone employed. However, as of now, there is already a shortage of jobs since many people across the United States are out of work. Plus, history shows that not only will raising the minimum wage not cause unemployment, but it is very likely that companies may hire more workers (Reich). That's not saying there will be a surplus of jobs, just that raising the minimum wage could bring even more people into the work force and out of poverty. The reason for this is because when the minimum wage is raised all those workers go home with more money. They then turn around and spend that money on goods and services, returning it to the businesses who must pay the higher minimum wage. Those businesses then make a higher profit, and have the money available to pay the new wages.
Therefore the government should raise the minimum wage to a higher value. It will help raise people above the poverty line, and could even create more jobs.