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The American Minimum Wage Debate

But we can't expect that the issues of the working poor can be so easily resolved by simply placing more money in their hands. An underlying factor is that less than 1 out of 5  people employed in minimum wage jobs live in poor households leaving more than 80% of the increase going to those living above the poverty line. Given this fact, it's obvious that raising the minimum wage is missing its goal of providing aid to its intended demographic. The reason this is such a controversial subject is because there is no quick fix. Raising the minimum wage is the equivalent to that of a band-aid on a severed limb.  .
             As a society it's our responsibility to regulate how the government is spending our money. It is a commonly known that teenagers get minimum wage earning jobs by the time they are legally allowed to drive. Because they still live at home with mom and dad, they don't need the income level of man who's supporting a wife and three children. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data, individuals living with their parents make up the largest group of minimum wage earners which translates to roughly 35%. Although Americans are aware that the majority of minimum wage earners are youngsters, they almost always focus their attention on the small minority of people who have a minimum wage career. Most minimum wage earners are already contently living above the poverty line. Therefore, the people in which minimum wage is designed to benefit are not being reached. Instead of this increase supporting the basic necessities for lower-income families, it is being saved towards new cars, college funds, or frivolous entertainment.  .
             Increasing minimum wage overall, decreases available jobs within individual businesses. The reason for this lies again in operational costs for employers. .
             The viability of businesses depends on profits and when minimum wage rises, it reduces profit margins.


Essays Related to The American Minimum Wage Debate

1. Federal Minimum Wage Proposal

... ; (Holland, 2014). For this reason they deem it not only the right decision but a necessary one to raise the Federal Minimum Wage for hardworking Americans. There are many beliefs that raising the minimum wage would be beneficial to our economy. "Rachel West and Michael Reich released a study conducted for the Center for American Progress that found raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour would save taxpayers $4.6 billion in spending ... bill will not be satisfied until the minimum wage is increased. When looking at both sides of this ongoing debate I feel that the minimum wage shoul...

  • Word Count: 1353
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Reevaluating the Benefits of Minimum Wage

... our youth and those who argue the minimum wage benefits those living in poverty. Numerous studies have produced facts and statistics that support both sides of the minimum wage debate. We will cover these pros and cons throughout this paper. The minimum wage was first enacted into law as part of the Fair labor Standards Act of 1938. The original minimum wage applied to workers engaged in interstate ... change in 1920, were no longer valid. The court began to uphold the constitutionality of minimum wage during the 1930s, because now it appeared minimum wage was essential to the maintenan...

  • Word Count: 1569
  • Approx Pages: 6
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3. The Problem with Minimum Wage

... a constant debate about whether the minimum wage should be raised or should remain the same in the United States. Business owners believe that raising the minimum wage will kill jobs and hurt the economy. On the other side of the argument, the workers believe that increasing the minimum wage won't kill jobs and it may even give the economy a boost by presenting more pay to low-income workers who are likely to spend it. The minimum wage is the minimum hourly wage an ... . Of course, my family is helping me out with my financial situation at the moment, but a few dollars of a raise in the ...

  • Word Count: 1916
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Raising the Minimum Wage

... a minimum wage are disproportionately from low income and minority families, the minimum wage has attracted attention from social activists as well. The topic is perhaps most interesting to the average American. At some point in our lives, almost everyone has been paid the minimum wage. Due to this fact, it is of popular debate over dinner, at restaurants, and in the typical American living room. The people of the United States should support raising the federal minimum wage because ... empirical evidence proves that it does not lead to job loss. Americans know a raise in the minimum wa...

  • Word Count: 2945
  • Approx Pages: 12
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  • Grade Level: High School

5. How Far Have The Labour Government's Economic Policies Met Business Objectives?

... substantial amount of contrasting arguments and created a heated debate in recent times is the incorporation of the Social Chapter into the British constitution. This is an element of the Maastricht Treaty signed by the twelve members of the European Union in 1992. In 1993 the UK took the decision to opt out of the Social Chapter, fearing that it would impose extra costs ... working conditions, thereby worsening living standards. Countries therefore reached and agreement that workers should have certain basic minimum rights, such as fair and reasonable rewards, minimum wage and access ...

  • Word Count: 1778
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

6. Minimum Wage and the Wealth Gap

... support higher taxes on the wealthy, a higher minimum wage and an increase in education opportunities for the poor as ways to narrow the wealth gap. The gap on wealth has been going on for a very long time. One of the main problems is that the rich keep getting richer while the poor do the contrast. George Packer, a distinguished journalist and author of "The Broken Contract: Inequality and American Decline" brought ... simply does not cut it. Despite the stereo type of teens being the majority affected by low wage the truth is quite the opposite. According to Census data by the Economi...

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  • Approx Pages: 4
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7. The Japanimator Manifesto

... , 2011). However, despite this incredible global success many animators working in Japan suffer horrendous working conditions, ridiculous working hours and often receive an insufficient pay cheque that is far bellow the countries minimum wage. (Meth et al, blog, 2015) Many entry level animators working at small production companies are payed just 120JPY or $1 per frame instead of receiving a fixed hourly rate meaning they ... , blog, 2015) This means that some animators can earn as little as $100 a month. (Meth et al, blog, 2015) It is, therefore, no surprise that there has been some deba...

  • Word Count: 1470
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8. The World Trade Organization Does It Benefit The United Sta

... in closed meetings, excluding other WTO nations. The U.S. is one of those developed countries along with Canada, Japan, and the European Union. These countries are commonly known as the QUAD countries (The Working Group, 1999). The Debate Advantages One of the fundamental principles of the WTO is to help trade flow smoothly. By fostering free trade, the WTO provides countries with a constructive and fair ... international rules for fair trade. Disadvantages Perhaps the most damaging effect of the WTO and free trade to the U.S. is the loss of American jobs. Globalization aggravates the pro...

  • Word Count: 2772
  • Approx Pages: 11
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

9. The Detrimental Effects of Political Correctness

... Alas, Sowell expands on other corrective economic policies that are detrimental. Minimum wage laws and legislation strengthening labor unions too name two more. He states, "88 percent of academic economists supported the ˜war on poverty, " but "61 percent of those same economists opposed the minimum wage law " (Sowell, 2002, para. 3). Minimum wages and labor unions can make it extremely expensive to hire additional ... issues such as woman's pay difference relative to men are covered up with a political correctness explanation rather then the actual truth. Author Anthony Browne, of the ...

  • Word Count: 1998
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

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