...Hannah Bowman 21 Apr. 2017 4th block Should the Federal Minimum Wage be Increased? In the United States many people struggle in their everyday life to provide for their family. A quick and easy way to solve this problem would be to raise the hourly minimum wage to a higher rate instead of $7.25. Increasing the minimum wage would reduce the amount of poverty that the United States has. Surprisingly, the high school dropout rate has a high correlation with the low national minimum wage. Doing this would also decrease the amount of crimes we have in the US every year. Raising the minimum wage would benefit the United States in many ways. Poverty is a real problem in the US and has been for some time, but by paying our low income families more money per hour this problem could be resolved. “The annual earnings for a full time minimum wage worker is $15,080 at the current federal minimum wage of $7.25.” (what are the annual earnings) $15,080 is hardly enough to support a family and provide nutritional and well balanced meals. In agreement with Mike Konczal, Author of Economist agree: Raising the Minimum Wage Reduces Poverty says, “raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, as many Democrats are proposing in 2014 would reduce the number of people living in poverty by 4.6 million...
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...Minimum wage is a controversial topic that has people on different side of if it should be increased or it should remain the same. It should be increased, but only in certain states such as california due it's expensive living cost. Across all models with a dollar increase in the minimum wage above the federal level was associated with a 1% to 2% decrease in low birth weight births and a 4% decrease in postneonatal mortality. Minimum wage has a huge effect on the economy. Minimum wage be increased in certain states such as california due it's expensive living cost. Now here are some examples of why minimum wage should be increased. Because of low minimum wage in big cities their infant mortality rates are higher than they are in other states due to how parents cannot afford to take care of their child. If minimum wage was increased by a dollar it would cut down of infant mortality. In her article, Kormo provides evidence to prove her point of how income and mortality rates are connected: “Due to low income studies show that...
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...present their solutions to this issue. The minimum wage has been presented as a viable option in solving this issue of poverty that allegedly plagues the nation. The first federal wage regulations were passed under FDR in the 1930s, and many states already had their own wage regulations in place. Recently, there has been a growing movement for a substantial increase in the federal minimum wage. Many large cities and several states have increased their minimum wage or have begun working towards a higher minimum wage over the next several...
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...Minimum wage people make too much money without working for it. Low minimum pay in society is critical because the littlest wage creates a standard of living. The problem America faces today is that everyone is pushing for a higher minimum wage and means everyone will have a better standard of living. These people don’t realize is, what about the effects if they raised the lowest pay. The government will decide to change the minimum wage if it's what the massive of America wants and we must educate them on why the Government shouldn’t raise minimum wage. Why does the government get control on deciding what people get paid? An increased minimum wage will only negatively impact the economy by causing job loss for low skill workers, price increase on goods and services, and still would not be enough for a comfortable living. Whenever people complain about minimum wages, they don’t realize the jobs they have are meant for high schoolers, not careers....
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...Abolish or Sustain? The Minimum Wage Debate Sarah Campbell May 8, 2013 Abstract In 1938 the Fair Labor Standards Act established a federal minimum wage. Minimum wage has continuously increased throughout the years due to interest rates and the value of a dollar. Since its introduction the minimum wage has risen from 25 cents an hour to 7.25 dollars per hour in 2009. In President Obama’s recent State of the Union Address he states, “Working folks shouldn’t have to wait year after year for the minimum wage to go up while CEO pay has never been higher.” He hopes to raise the minimum wage by 2014 to 9 dollars per hour. Following the President’s support on minimum wage increase Sen. Tom Harkin (Democrat-Iowa) and Rep. George Miller (Democrat-California) formalized a proposal known as S.460, the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013 to increase the minimum wage by 2015 to $10.10. This proposal includes increasing the minimum wage (in three incremental increases of $.95) and then indexing it to inflation (“as prices rise, so would the minimum wage” (Cooper, Hall 2013)). Also, the tipped minimum wage (the minimum wage paid to workers who earn a portion of their wages in tips) would be increased in $0.85 increments from its current value of $2.13 per hour, where it has languished since 1991, until it reaches 70 percent of the regular minimum wage (Cooper, Hall 2013). However, in the current tough economic times many people argue that an increased minimum wage will only hurt and that...
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...Outline I. Introduction II. Minimum Wage Defined a. Past Minimum Wage Law b. Considerations III. Increased Minimum Wage and Employment c. Job Losses d. Unskilled Workers IV. Increased Minimum Wage and Poverty V. Increased Minimum Wage and Effects for Society e. Costs of Labor f. Higher Prices g. Individual Impacts VI. Constitutionalism h. Previous Court Rulings i. Free Contract VII. Demotivation Factors j. Education k. Promotions VIII. Minimum Wage Redundancy IX. Conclusion The issue of raising the minimum wage is a highly debated topic. This topic is one that appeals to people from all walks of life. During some time in an individual’s life, he has worked for minimum wage. There will always be the worker who feels he is not paid enough and the boss who feels that the worker’s pay is adequate for the work. “If there were only two economists left in the world, they would disagree about the minimum wage” (Mejeur 14). Minimum wage is basically the minimal amount that an employer can legally pay an employee for work on an hourly basis. Past laws governed that the minimum wage would increase every few years, with the last increase being in 2009 for $7.25 per hour (Funk & Wagnalls 1). Many people feel an increase is long overdue. Those people, however, are not looking at the entire picture. Increasing the minimum wage goes beyond simply giving people more money...
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...government should raise the minimum wage incrementally to cover the increased costs of living, increase productivity, and reduced turnover. BACKGROUND: The federal government began regulating wages with the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. This established a price floor of what we know to be minimum wage, it also defined the standard work week, and guaranteed time and a half for overtime hours. The original purpose of stabilizing the minimum wage was to, “protect all employees from any alterations in the economy” (Andrade). Currently 29 states and Washington D.C. have set their minimum wages above the federal minimum of $7.25. People argue that a high minimum wage hurts small businesses and inflates...
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...New York increased their minimum wage to $15 at the beginning of this year as part of Governor Cuomo’s plan, “Built to Lead Agenda”. This plan “takes the needs of workers and businesses alike into account.” Thus, New York is trying to improve the lives of employees, without hurting the employers in the process. The effects of an increase in minimum wage to workers and companies in New York may be too early to calculate because the year has just begun. Research of other states give insights as to the results of increasing the minimum wage. If New York can increase their minimum wage from $9.70 to $15, can other states follow through? The effects of increasing the minimum wage varies. Supporters believe that an increase in minimum wage “improve...
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...Professor Bajwa 13 November 2013 Against Raising Minimum Wage In my opinion, more people are hurt by a minimum wage increase than are helped by it. Increasing the minimum wage helps some low wage workers in the short run but is detrimental to the majority of society in the long run. An increase in the minimum wage helps some low wage workers in the short run. If a worker earned less than the new minimum wage, it is beneficial to them to get an increase in their hourly wage, as long as the prices of goods and services stays the same and the company they work for is not forced to downsize. In spite of a temporary benefit to one group of workers, an increase in the minimum wage is harmful to several other groups. Employers, some low wage employees, and society as a whole are hurt by the increase. Employers are harmed by an increase in the minimum wage. The increase causes a company’s cost of operation to go up. Higher input prices decrease a company’s profits. Because of the higher cost of labor, an employer cannot employ as many workers. This causes a decrease in the company’s productivity, which also decreases their profits. Small businesses especially have a difficult time accommodating increases in minimum wage because they do not have as large of a budget to work with. Some low wage workers lose their jobs as a result of an increase in minimum wage. The company they work for may decide to let some of their low wage employees go to offset the increase in the cost...
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...The minimum wage rate is introduced in this essay, with the perspectives of weighing the benefits with that of the costs of the national minimum wage. The essay goes about discovering what exactly is minimum wage and how it impacts the economy. Moreover, the advantages are compared against the disadvantages of the minimum wage rate. Furthermore, it also covers the detailed consequences of increased minimum wage after a research on what economists have surveyed about the recent increase in the minimum wage. Thus, this essay has thoroughly evaluated the pros and cons of implying with the law to allow for national minimum wage in the labor market. The minimum wage act was created in the 1938T as Fair Labor Standards Act, which makes it legally compulsory for the employers to pay their employees for the period of time worked. The minimum wage could be defined as the “minimum rate of remuneration that is must to be paid to a wage employees for the work they have done over a period of time, which cannot be neglected or reduced by individual contract and collective agreement”. The eligibility of minimum wage is that it is allotted to workers who are below 20 years old, for long as the probationary period lasts that is for almost 3 months. The minimum wage rate...
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...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...
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...Project: Minimum Wage There are many topics of debate that exist throughout the country. These topics encourage people to get involved in order to promote change. One particular issue of debate is the topic of minimum wage. Minimum wage is defined as the lowest amount that employers can legally pay their workers per hour of labor. It helps to eliminate sweatshops and it helps to guarantee that people are getting paid fairly for the amount of work that they are performing. In addition, minimum wage was also established to protect young workers and minorities from getting underpaid. Therefore, minimum wage should be increased in order to keep pace with the standard of living and to keep people out of poverty. Minimum wage...
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...Kelby Storm Rough Draft The minimum wage in America is a problem that is continuing to grow. This can be fixed by raising the minimum wage. In Webster's college dictionary "minimum wage" is defined as “the lowest hourly wage that may be paid to an employee” (“Websters College Dictionary” 845). The minimum wage determines what a human makes per hour which in America is not where it should be. At a job there is a low that can be set for how much the minimum is per hour worked. Many places put it at minimum wage just so that they can make as much money for the company without losing a bunch to pay the employees who are the one that keep the business running. Minimum wage is a very debatable topic as people view it as it is too high and others...
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...Act(FLSA) which established the U.S. federal minimum wage to be 25 cents. After 49 years, President Bill Clinton proposed a legislation that would allow individual states to set their own minimum wage as they see reasonable. As a result, several states set their minimum wage above what was originally established by the federal government. During that time since the FLSA was passed, the minimum wage was revised every few years to account for inflation and the cost of living which includes several reductions made by Congress. As of 2009, the federal minimum wage became $7.25, although labor activists continue to debate and ask Congress to raise...
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...income working hours and hours just to work even longer for the rest of her entire life. Though keep in mind that the state's minimum wage is only $5.15. For some that can be their life, and to those, it may be the result of relatively low minimum wage. Who would have thought that our great nation has one of the highest in the world? The average minimum wage in our country is $7.25, and suppose that...
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