Persuasive Essay On Minimum Wage

478 Words2 Pages
Can a person support the average family of four on the current minimum wage of $7.25 an hour? The answer is NO! The average monthly income is approximately nine-hundred and fifty dollars. Their average cost of housing is anywhere from two-hundred and fifty dollars to four-hundred and fifty dollars a month, which leaves them with between five hundred to seven hundred dollars. The average utility bills are about two-hundred and fifty dollars a month. Now, this person has about two-hundred and fifty dollars to four-hundred and fifty dollars. That’s all they have left for groceries, gas, child care, and healthcare. Many American households are living in poverty, when the head of household is working full-time at minimum wage. However, many people believe that an increase in minimum wage would jeopardize the workforce. If minimum wage was increased, then unskilled workers would not have any incentive to “go above and beyond” to get higher pay. This would lead to employers thinking the payment the employee is receiving is not worth the work they are doing. Also, some employers may not do an “across the board” increase, which means employees who have been with the company longer may be making the same amount as new hires. Therefore, this may cause disputes between employers and employees. Many people believe an…show more content…
Less people would have to depend on welfare and other community services to get by. Many people depend on welfare because the current minimum wage is not enough to satisfy their basic needs. So, an increase would help more people help themselves. An increase would benefit all workers because it would push wages up for all employees. An employer would not be able to hire an unskilled employee for the same amount of a skilled employee, who has been employed longer. Also, a raise in minimum wage would cause fewer turnovers, which costs the employer less, due to not having to train new employees
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