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Minimum Wage, Minimal Expenses

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Randi Brooks
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MINIMUM WAGE, MINIMAL EXPENSES In North Carolina, minimum wage is set to the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour, which is obtained by using a "Cost of Living Formula". (N.A.) Establishments such as fast food restaurants, casual eateries, coffee shops, and those with sales associate positions are among those that start their employees at minimum wage. So far, we see that sales associates who are required to do minimal tasks, provide customer service, wait tables, or serve coffee are among those who earn a minimum wage paycheck. For years there has been much ado among people of the minimum wage class, and those slightly above it, sparking controversy over the feeling that the minimum wage is not set high enough. However, as someone who was very recently counted in that class, I must strongly disagree. From 2011 to 2014 I had various jobs in the food service and customer service industries, all at minimum wage except for one or two of those, and often holding more than one job at a time. My experience and skills that I had gathered eventually afforded me a higher paycheck, but not by much. During my time at these various establishments, I met a variety of different people; from teenagers, young and old mothers, and single people just trying to support themselves, even people who had previously been in jail. I learned from these people (and their attitudes while working) that they did not value their jobs. The famous line among minimum wage employees is "I don't get paid enough for this" among similar sayings. However, if you asked any of the young people without children, who lived either alone or with parents, their wages were adequate and they had few complaints. So why did the older generations feel this way? "Because you cannot support a family on minimum wage". Now this statement always baffled me, because after I had my first child, I

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