Raising Minimum Wage Debate

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Minimum wage Most Americans at one time or another who have worked have earned the minimum wage, usually with their first employment. The minimum wage debate is a heated topic in the news today. Many fast food workers across the country are demanding to be paid fifteen dollars an hour for flipping burgers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2014), approximately 4.3 percent of the population in the United States earned a minimum wage salary. The majority of those who earn minimum wage are teenagers and young adults under the age of 25. There are people that believe that by raising the minimum wage it will lower the poverty level. There are others who feel that raising the minimum wage will have the opposite effect.…show more content…
Unfortunately, this is not a valid argument since only 4 percent of the minimum wage workers are single parents. Most minimum wage earners are under 25 years of age and are not the sole breadwinner for the family. They tend to come from middle-class families, are still in school and only work part-time. Statistics shows that 79 percent of these people only work part time. Approximately 62 percent are still obtaining their education, and only 22 percent live below the national poverty line. Higher minimum wages does not address the primary reason that people live below the poverty line. Low wages are not the main problem; the problem is that most people living below the poverty line do not work at all. According to the United States Census Bureau. (n.d.), 67 percent of people are living below the poverty line did not work, and only 25 percent worked part time. That means that only 9 percent living below the poverty line work full…show more content…
The fact is the minimum wage law, when it was enacted, was never meant to be a means to support a family. It was to protect employees from unscrupulous employers that wanted to pay them less than they were worth. Most people who do earn the minimum wage are uneducated and do not qualify for jobs that pay more. People who desire a better salary should get a better education such as a college degree and or trade certificate if they want to compete in today’s job market. References Characteristics of minimum wage workers in 2013. (2014). BLS Report, 1-17. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/cps/minwage2013.pdf Sherk, J. (2013, February 28). Who Earns the Minimum Wage? Suburban Teenagers, Not Single Parents. Retrieved from http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/02/who-earns-the-minimum-wage-suburban-teenagers-not-single-parents United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Retrieved from

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