...The national average for the minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 per hour. This is the lowest amount that an employer can compensate its workers legally. Basically it is the lowest wage that a worker can sell their labor at. The federal minimum wage should be raised for two reasons, it keeps up with rising living costs, and it boosts the economy. But on the other side the opponents will say it increases poverty and unemployment. The first reason that the federal minimum wage should be increased is because of the rising cost of living. Raising the national living wage will allow workers to better support their families and keep up with the economy. The last time congress raised the national average of pay was seven years ago. Since that time, the cost of living has dramatically shot up. According to an article on USA Today’s website, groceries cost 20% more, a gallon of gas costs 25% more, and average tuition at a community college increased 44%, if...
Words: 790 - Pages: 4
...According to Webster's Dictionary The definition of minimum wage is “the lowest wage paid or permitted to be paid” (“Minimum Wage”). The big question is, should minimum wage be raised? Over the years there have been many protests in Wisconsin because of people thinking that they deserve a higher pay rate. I strongly disagree with this controversial topic of raising minimum wage because it will cause more job layoffs and cut benefits, small businesses can’t afford it, and it will reduce the worker's motivation to get a higher education. $0.25 an hour was the first federal minimum wage in the 1930’s (“Why We Should Not Raise the Minimum Wage”). Although the minimum wage has raised to $7.25 per hour since then, many people still believe it is still not high enough....
Words: 846 - Pages: 4
...Minimum wage has been a problem in many states simply because people believe that their pay isn’t enough and should be raised to support themselves and others. But why should minimum wage be raised? I believe otherwise because the US raising minimum wage can cause problems for us, don’t you think? I believe minimum wage shouldn’t be raised. I believe that raising minimum wage can destroy businesses. The government raising minimum wage can destroy those small companies that already cannot afford to pay their employees more than the minimum wage. No company would want to lose their business because they are trying to pay employees more when they know they can’t afford it. If a person really thinks about it they will be able to see that if businesses did start to pay more than the minimum wage many people can lose their jobs. In the article, For the first time, majority of states have minimum wage above federal level, Charlene Conway a co-owner of the Carousel Family Fun Center will have to lay off staff members to be able to pay more money to the employee’s “ She might have to layoff several members of her 40 person staff and totally eliminate the younger workforce”...
Words: 595 - Pages: 3
...Federal Minimum Wage Proposal Research Essay MDH-ECO210 President Obama has proposed to increase the Federal Minimum Wage to $10.10 as well as increase the Earned Income Tax Credit among other items associated with this. There are those who oppose the increase to Federal Minimum Wage as well as those who support this proposal. What we have to question when looking at this increase is whether or not it will actually help the economy or if it will simply raise costs of everything we buy on a daily basis. It is necessary that “businesses need to have money available to pay for labor, materials, power, and other inputs” (McConnell, Brue, Flynn, 315). It is debated if raising minimum wage will stifle these businesses, by increasing their pay rate for labor. There are many factors to consider when looking at this proposal that has a multitude of pros and cons. If this constant debate continues as it has in the previous instances then the typical result will be that most Republicans will oppose the proposal while the majority of Democrats will be in favor of passing the bill. President Obama is quoted as saying in his State of the Union address that “in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full time should have to live in poverty” (Hassett, Strain, 2013). The case that is made against raising the minimum wage is very simple; by raising the minimum wage it makes it more expensive for businesses to hire employees. Those who retain their jobs will make more money;...
Words: 1564 - Pages: 7
...Why this Salary Raise is a Bad Thing Introduction: Economics has been based on multiple theories throughout history, and one of the most popular has been the free market or laissez- faire theories. This theory is based on letting the economy grow on its own without government intervention. The laissez-faire theory is logical for several reasons including, supply and demand and competition. Traditionally, consumers will only pay the amount of value they perceive the product is worth. In the same vein, an employee will only work for a wage that he deems appropriate. If the employer lowers the wage, fewer workers will desire the job. These are a few of the reasons why the free market principle has many benefits. However, in a free market there can also be market failures. Market failures can arise from a multitude of situations such as pollution, or extreme low wages in areas of poverty. In a free market, a company could cause massive amounts of pollution and not have to bear the market cost of that pollution. The society as a whole, including people who do not benefit from the cheaper product, are the ones dealing with the polluted environment. Currently our government has been discussing a raise in the minimum wage. President Barack Obama is pushing for this bill and has many supporters. A rise in the minimum wage will be a major business issue for the next year and presidential election. Pros: Raising the minimum wage some enticing benefits to the American people and...
Words: 1237 - Pages: 5
...today. The main reason I believe being that the federal minimum wage is too low. Minimum wage should be $15 in every state. If we want people to experience the freedom and opportunity, it can’t be done off $7.25. People have kids to provide for, colleges to attend, families to support, and so many more things. The luxury to afford to have all the “freedom” or “opportunity” the rich may have isn’t plausible for minimum wage workers. Every morning these people wake up and questions whether they have enough money for food or housing for example. Robert Reich, an American political economist, professor, author, and political commentator, made some good points on this issue. Reich also believes that the minimum wage should be $15 an hour. We both agree with federal minimum wage being hiked to $15 an hour. My reason as to why I agree with him being that Reich gives 7 very valid reasons as to why the raise should occur. The benefit over time would be well worth it. Congress instituted the minimum wage in 1938 as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act (DOL). The first minimum wage that was established was 25 cents an hour (James). The last minimum wage increase occurred in 2009, when Congress raised the rate to $7.25 an hour (AFL). The District of Columbia and 19 states have also established local minimum wages higher than the federal rate (AFL). Over the past 65 years the minimum wage has varied considerably in inflation-adjusted buying power (James). If minimum wage had been adjusted...
Words: 2199 - Pages: 9
...According to my research, there are quite a few positive reasons why Congress should increase minimum wage that I personally agree with. Raising the minimum wage could be used as a solution tool for some economic issues. This includes an issue such as reducing the poverty rate by increasing income for minimum wage workers. Understanding that inflation occur once minimum is raised makes sense why after years of not having a minimum wage increase is affective over time. Since when minimum wage had started to be consistent, it has been generally increased to improve the economy from the conditions it was in at the time. Now I understand that just because businesses and government prices continue to increase, does not give Congress an absolute...
Words: 264 - Pages: 2
...Raising Minimum Wage Intermediate Microeconomics In the 2014 State of the Union address, President Obama called on Congress to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour (The White House, n.d.). Many arguments stand both for and against the $2.85 per hour raise, all of which cite the affects it may have on employer costs, household income, and the economy as a whole. The majority of the arguments, however, point toward the major economic benefits that are capable if such a raise occurs. The federal government put into place a minimum wage in 1938. Nominal minimum wage values have increased intermittently ever since, starting at $0.25/hr, growing until it reached its current $7.25/hr. It has increased the most recently in three $0.70 increments, from $5.15 to $5.85 in July 2007, to $6.55 in July 2008, and to $7.25 in July 2009, where it has stayed for the past six years. In more recent years, various cities and states have made their own decisions to raise their minimum wages. For example, in 2015, San Francisco raised its minimum wage to $12.25 per hour, with plans to raise it further, to $15 per hour in 2018. In 2016, California will raise its state-wide minimum wage to $10 per hour, making it the highest state’s minimum wage (Smith, 2015). There are four major arguments against the raise of minimum wage – job loss, less job availability for low-skilled workers, lack of poverty reduction, and higher prices for consumers. In the Southern Economic Journal, experts...
Words: 1341 - Pages: 6
...11/23/12 “Minimum Wages Should Be Raised” With one of the worst recession’s in the past decade, I guarantee that almost every single person in this country has been impacted by it, state and federal leaders are focusing on getting this economy back on track and helping working families ends meet. Raising min. wage is a key strategy in the recovery of is this economy. By boosting the wages for the working class on which they are relying most on, will not only restore the consumer spending that powers our country but will help other small businesses grow along with the hard worker men and women working those jobs, and most Americans will be able to come out of debt. Most Republicans and many Democrats oppose a rise in the minimum wage. Some economists believe it should be abolished altogether; in other words, businesses would be able to pay $1 or $7 per hour if they wanted, assuming they could find people to hire at the specified rate. According to the BLS In 2011, 73.9 million American workers age 16 and over were paid at hourly rates, representing 59.1 percent of all wage and salary workers. Among those paid by the hour, 1.7 million earned the exact minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. About 2.2million had wages below $7.25. 3.8 million workers with the wages at or below the federal level made up 5.2 percent of all hourly paid workers. There are 300 million people in the United States and approximately 80 million people get paid minimum wage, this just proves why people cant...
Words: 1618 - Pages: 7
...4 million jobs were lost and 14.3% of Americans were living in poverty. Several years later, the government is still trying to get the Economy back on its feet. Democrats say that raising the minimum wage will increase earnings for millions of workers leading to cash flow which will stimulate the economy. Republicans say that although increasing the minimum wage would help many Americans by increasing their earnings, many Americans would also experience job loss. Increasing the minimum wage would help the economy greatly but could also hurt many of the low-income families. Rex Huppke of the Chicago Tribune, brings up a great point stating that raising the minimum wage is not an effective way to address the poverty issue America faces. When raising the minimum wage, not only will the families living in low-income housing be affected, but also young adults with their first jobs and teenagers working after school. This is a concern because these students aren’t the ones who need the help; it is the families with 5 children who...
Words: 713 - Pages: 3
...Fast Food Workers’ Strike Raul Valdez’s section On Thursday September 4th 2014, thousands of fast food restaurant workers walked out of their post and joined a street protest demanding a wage of $15 per hour. Fast food workers in more than 100 cities in the US joined the protest hoping to disturb the fast food chains enough to get their executives’ attention. This protest was part of the movement that was organized by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). A previous strike was organized on May this year and it took place not only in the US but in at least 33 countries like The UK, Philippines, India, Japan, and Belgium among others. The protests were supposed to be peaceful, but there were some instances of protesters blocking streets. The police had to intervene and at least 430 people were arrested. Kendall Fells, the organizer director of Fast Food Forward organization that helped organize the protest said “There has to be civil disobedience because workers don’t see any other way to get $15 an hour and a union” Protesters were hoping that their absence from work would make these fast food restaurants lose revenue and create chaos forcing executives in these establishments to accept the protesters’ demands. A similar strike took place when the Market Basket workers abandoned their posts when the Market Basket Board of Directors decided to replace their CEO. Although the fast food protest was highly organized and the majority of workers joined, some workers...
Words: 3568 - Pages: 15
...Should minimum wage increase? “The bottom line is that five million low-income Americans working full time for minimum wage, deserve a raise,” says Jim Clyburn. The argument that has continued for years is whether the American federal government should increase the minimum? The two opposing sides on this argument are the Republicans and the Democrats. The Democrats are for minimum wage to increase, unlike the Republicans, who are against it and think of it as a job killer. There are many reasons why the Democrats are for the increase of minimum wage. Currently, there are approximately 3.8 million people who are working at minimum wage or below it. Fewer than one in four minimum wage workers are teenagers and more than half are 25 or older. (Dickinson) If minimum wage were raised to $10.10 it would trim payrolls by less than one-third of one percent, which would help approximately one million Americans out of poverty. It has been proven by the Congressional Budget Office that the raise will not affect the number of jobs as much as people think, and the increase will accomplish more than just harmful situations. There should have been a consistent raise in minimum wage from 1968 to now, but there has not been. The federal government minimum wage should be close to $20 an hour. Tax money could potentially fund less food stamps, welfare, and other financial support for this to occur. A family of four trying to be successful and build their family is living on the earnings of being...
Words: 1107 - Pages: 5
...MID TERM EXAM – PLEASE USE THIS DOCUMENT FOR ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS AND THEN CUT AND PASTE ONTO THE ONLINE EXAMS – The exam has five long essay questions worth 20 points each. Each question should be a minimum of three paragraphs of academic information. PLEASE READ THE UNIT FIVE LECTURE PRIOR TO TAKING THIS TEST and REFER TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WEBSITE ON THE FLSA. * Refer the Unit Lectures, readings & resources and credible sources from the Library or internet to support your responses * Cite any information that you reword, restate or quote in accord with APA guidelines * It is highly advisable to first answer the questions in a Word document and then copy and paste into the exam * Grading rubric can be found in Course Information * Do not cut and paste from sources but use your own words based on the academic data. You can use quotes when you feel it is appropriate. When you quote, restate or reword you still need to cite the data. Safe Assign may be used to prevent plagiarism and to create opportunities to help students identify how to properly attribute sources Question One: Explain what the Job Analysis process is and why it is so important. Remember that the exams require two to three substantiate paragraphs. Research the question first and then answer the question with appropriate academic citations. The job analysis is a process conducted by HR used to identify and determine a particular jobs duties and requirements of that...
Words: 1741 - Pages: 7
...The minimum wage is often thought of as a guarantee of fairness in the employment market. As it is erroneously perceived, the minimum wage ensures that every person receives a living wage. However, the minimum wage neither guarantees that an individual be employed in the first place, nor does it guarantee that an employee will be offered enough hours of work in order to garner a so-called “living wage.” A raise in the minimum wage, without a raise in productivity for the given work, will result in companies resorting to drastic measures to secure profits. These measures include cutting down worker hours, implementing rigorous productivity standards, and most importantly, raising the cost of products and services. An increase in the minimum wage will result in an increased difficulty for low-skilled individuals seeking work, as they now have to compensate for an inequity in the value they provide and the wage they are guaranteed. In addition, those already past the threshold of the minimum wage will be forced to endure a rise in the cost of living, despite the fact that they did not receive a raise in their personal wage. Lastly, raising the minimum wage will degrade the idea of the free market, a system which allows prospective employees to exchange their work to an employer for an agreed upon wage, including wages that may not conform to the restraints of the minimum wage. Ultimately, the federal minimum wage should not be raised as it will encourage an increase in the unemployment...
Words: 1419 - Pages: 6
...government should raise minimum wage. Raising minimum wage will help the economy and help people buy what they need to live a comfortable life. Raising minimum wage would be very beneficial to our economy. Raising the wage would not only help people by putting more money in their pockets but those people would also buy more goods which would put money back into our economy. Let’s face it, the cost of living has gone up significantly in the last decade or so. People need more money in order to live a comfortable life. People need money to be able to afford vital things such as food, transportation, education, healthcare, life insurance, etc. “Even if one can work full-time, after state and federal taxes and Social Security and Medicare deductions, one is lucky to retain $225 a week or $12,000 a year, which is precisely the threshold of poverty for a single person (Komlos, “Column: Why”).” If...
Words: 638 - Pages: 3
