MInimum Wage Essay
Minimum Wage Essay
Claire Crawford
Period 3
An increase in minimum wage immediately sounds like a good idea, however it is not as simple as it may seem. Minimum wage laws have been in the U.S since 1938. Their purpose is to make sure no American employees are living below a certain standard. However the minimum wage laws apply to those who are actually employed; could it be that the higher the minimum wage, the higher the U.S unemployment rate? The U.S congress has recently been debating whether to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. An increase in the minimum wage simply will not be beneficial to our country economically or socially, because jobs will be lost and minorities will suffer the most. To illustrate how an increase in minimum wage will affect the economy it would be instructive to examine an article written by Andy Pudzer. Pudzer writes about real world examples of how an increase in the minimum wage can affect a business. He talks about his company, CKE restaurants and explains all about annual incomes for his different employees. He sums up by stating, “The Feds can mandate a higher wage, but some jobs don’t produce enough economic value to bear the increase” (Pudzer). Using this idea and applying it to his, and many other real world examples, it is very logical. Companies just cannot afford to keep everyone employed while still bearing the minimum wage increase. Conversely to the logos used in the previous article, Paul Krugman uses pathos and popular ideals to argue his point, “An increase in the minimum wage, on the other hand, just might happen, thanks to overwhelming public support” (Krugman). Krugman makes a hike in minimum wage seem ideal, especially because the public will support it; however, Krugman does not state the fact that the majority of the public is uninformed. A minimum wage increase sounds great to the ear, but one must look deeper into its economic effects on the country, “The president’s minimum
Claire Crawford
Period 3
An increase in minimum wage immediately sounds like a good idea, however it is not as simple as it may seem. Minimum wage laws have been in the U.S since 1938. Their purpose is to make sure no American employees are living below a certain standard. However the minimum wage laws apply to those who are actually employed; could it be that the higher the minimum wage, the higher the U.S unemployment rate? The U.S congress has recently been debating whether to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. An increase in the minimum wage simply will not be beneficial to our country economically or socially, because jobs will be lost and minorities will suffer the most. To illustrate how an increase in minimum wage will affect the economy it would be instructive to examine an article written by Andy Pudzer. Pudzer writes about real world examples of how an increase in the minimum wage can affect a business. He talks about his company, CKE restaurants and explains all about annual incomes for his different employees. He sums up by stating, “The Feds can mandate a higher wage, but some jobs don’t produce enough economic value to bear the increase” (Pudzer). Using this idea and applying it to his, and many other real world examples, it is very logical. Companies just cannot afford to keep everyone employed while still bearing the minimum wage increase. Conversely to the logos used in the previous article, Paul Krugman uses pathos and popular ideals to argue his point, “An increase in the minimum wage, on the other hand, just might happen, thanks to overwhelming public support” (Krugman). Krugman makes a hike in minimum wage seem ideal, especially because the public will support it; however, Krugman does not state the fact that the majority of the public is uninformed. A minimum wage increase sounds great to the ear, but one must look deeper into its economic effects on the country, “The president’s minimum