Preview

Minimum Wage Problem

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1171 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Minimum Wage Problem
As stated before solving the problem of poverty may seem like a lofty goal, but different but different states within the United States have been able to enact certain polices which have dramatically reduced their levels of poverty and improved the quality of living for its citizens. According to the Economic Institute Policy’s policy Analyst Liana Fox, the current system of not adjusting the federal minimum wage yearly, causes the value of the minimum wage to decrease as inflation causes the cost of living to increase. This lack of action causes either one of two scenarios, either the states pick up the tab and enact minimum wage indexing or states do noting and the countries lowest paid workers are left with no way to deal the yearly rise …show more content…
Indexing the minimum wage has not been enough to significantly lower the rates of poverty present in The U.S., in fact it has been noted that it is quite difficult and in some cases impossible to work full time under the minimum and support either an individual or a family. The United States has in the past and currently has enacted several welfare programs aimed at helping the working poor. Twenty years ago, the American welfare policy underwent a fundamental shift. Changes were made that put limits on how long people could receive certain benefits, in an effort to encourage welfare recipients to go out and find work, at the same time other programs were created or expanded to provide additional help to families with children. These changes also gave states more flexibility when it came to …show more content…
As stated previously, the current value of the federal minimum wage decreases yearly as the values of the American dollar decreases and the minimum wage stays the same. Currently only about seventeen states have created indexing laws to retain the value of the minimum wage (Fox). Rather than occasionally raising the minimum wage, as has been done in the past, the federal government must amend the minimum wage legislature to account for indexing. As most of the people living at or around the federal poverty threshold work in low-skill and low-paying jobs, the current system qualifying for welfare programs through job training, and career counseling should only be optional. A guaranteed basic income of 10,000 dollars annually to every qualifying adult resident, would help to subsidize the cost of living for these low-wage earners. Those who qualify for the basic income would have to be legal residents and not currently incarcerated. The majority of existing social welfare program would still exist as a safety net for those in
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The Pros And Cons Of Raising The Minimum Wage
    • 245 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Pros And Cons Of Raising The Minimum Wage

    In his article “ Raising minimum wage won’t lower poverty”( Saltsman, 2011) discussed that raising the minimum wage may contribute to reducing the incidence of poverty at the same time may increase the incidence of poverty. Although raising the minimum wage contribute to the economic development and create many jobs and thus reduce unemployment. However, a lot of studies have shown that all of these pros of the lifting of the minimum wage will turn into cons by reducing the employment rate. After that , he mentioned the need to find regulations to imposing monthly salaries and hiring a lot of people instead of the consequences associated with the minimum wage.…

    • 245 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Food Stamp Program Research Paper
    • 2177 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Food Stamp Program Research Paper

    For many workers, especially those with few skills and minimal education, wages are simply inadequate to keep the family out of poverty. Hourly wages among families with annual incomes below twice the poverty level average $8.55, and only $8.00 among single-parent families. Wages also are very low among families that have recently left welfare: the median hourly wage for families leaving welfare in 1999 was $7.15, which was 15 percent below that year’s poverty level for a family of four. In 2001, a full-time, year-round worker earning the minimum wage of $5.15/hour earned only 58 percent of the federal poverty level for a family of…

    • 2177 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Welfare Reform In The 1930's
    • 1103 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Welfare Reform In The 1930's

    Since the 1930’s the face of welfare has been shaped multiple times with many different types of reforms. These reform were made in an attempt to reduce the number of people who depend on government assistance, and to help those people get back on their feet and function in a normal society. Some reforms that were major in the beginning steps of welfare were The Welfare Reform Act of 1996, the (PRWORA) Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, and The (TANF) Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. “In 1996 a welfare reform act was passed” (U.S Welfare System 2). “The welfare Reform act was a catalyst needed to begin this new era of welfare benefits and provision” (U.S Welfare System 4). As a result of this reform employment rates of recipients soared and caseloads dropped dramatically, But looking at the bigger picture this paved way for such a dramatic change in the society and how the government helped the people of the United States. Following this…

    • 1103 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Mcdonald's Minimum Wage
    • 1223 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Mcdonald's Minimum Wage

    Right now, most cities in the U. S. have higher costs of living than what the minimum wage is (Prah). This makes it impossible for anyone living in one of these cities to make ends meet, and even harder for those with children to survive. It is terrible to think about children going to bed cold and hungry because their parents only make minimum wage. Some cities have made small steps to help with this wage gap. 120 cities have made what they call “living wages” for businesses that work for city contracts. The wages range from $9-$16, but at least helps some (Prah). While this may seem needed, the numbers say thatp a higher minimum wage is not needed. Research done in 2013 found that 135 million Americans worked, and of those 135 million, only 3.8 million earned the minimum wage (N.a A.8). This is not even three percent of the employed, and because of less than three percent inflation of good would occur, along with unemployment and business relocation and…

    • 1223 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    rogerian paper-minium wage

    • 1015 Words
    • 3 Pages

    rogerian paper-minium wage

    In President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union address, Obama advocated for increasing the federal minimum wage to $9 per hour. The timing of Obama’s speech comes at a time when income inequality has become the biggest economic issue in the United States of America. During the Great Depression, The United States of America designed a minimum wage as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Since its inception, the government required minimum wage has grown from 25 cents to $7.25 per hour. Unfortunately, the erosion of consumer buying power has decreased at a compounding rate and in America’s consumerist society the expected standard of living has also gone up with inflation. In response to rising inflation with the Federal minimum wage, states should be allowed to make the decision on price floors such as minimum wage.…

    • 1015 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Mandatory Drug Testing Research Paper
    • 1218 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Mandatory Drug Testing Research Paper

    “Welfare has become more accepted by mainstream American society, and it has become more of a long term commitment for some. More people than ever are now dependent on government handouts in order to survive, and the workforce is slowly shrinking as people give up looking for jobs and see government assistance as the only way to put food on the table” (Concordian).…

    • 1218 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Argumentative Essay: Poverty And Raising Minimum Wage
    • 1127 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Argumentative Essay: Poverty And Raising Minimum Wage

    Poverty is a huge issue in America; in spite of, what is the correct way to fix this issue? Will raising the minimum wage relieve the poor making the economy stronger or will it do the opposite? The issue at hand is discussed through two articles supporting the increased minimum wage, and two articles against it. The pro side of the issue is discussed through the articles, “Fast Food, Low Pay” by Mark Bittman, and “Raise That Wage” by Paul Krugman while the two articles supporting the con side are, “The Minimum Wage Debate” by Kevin A. Hasset, and Michael Strain, and “Raising Minimum Wage Hurts Those it Claims to Help” by Ellen Sauerbrey.…

    • 1127 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Cause And Effect Of Welfare Benefits
    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Cause And Effect Of Welfare Benefits

    The welfare benefits time limit has been in effect since3 1996. Welfare wants to woman with children to go for training or work. To help them give a much needed future for their children. Welfare was designed for below poverty families. With the benefit time limit in effect families with no income cannot survive, but there are so many families getting help from the government that there is not enough funding to help the families and the elderly who really need the help. There is some communities with chronic unemployment…

    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Living Wage In America Essay
    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Living Wage In America Essay

    In America, the public majority tends to believe that poor people deserve to be in poverty as they are lazy. In reality, the nation’s poor work full-time, sometimes over fifty hours a week, yet still do not earn enough to escape the depths of poverty. Minimum wage is what these individuals earn, as deemed appropriate from the low skill level of the jobs they work. Often the level of incomes received are not made to be living wages and are found to be product of unreasonable systems. Making a living wage in America is unlike the textbook definitions since there are various standards of living within each state that dictate the level. As a result including, an ever-growing population of consumer workers, deskilled jobs, and irrationality caused from McDonaldization, countless individuals, specifically: the uneducated, Blacks, Latinos, and young adults, fall into a class of “working poor”.…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Minimum Wage Must Be Increased
    • 654 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Minimum Wage Must Be Increased

    The minimum wage today is less than what it was over thirty years ago. The minimum wage as of today is around seven dollars and fifty cents every hour worked. If you add up how much that would make a year, it would equal around 14,000 to 15,000 dollars a year for full time workers. For some family's, seven dollars and fifty cents is the only income they receive. The amount made from minimum wage lies on a thin sheet of ice and just right below is poverty. Increasing the minimum wage would beneficent everyone by establishing an increase in job growth, setting the stage for the poor so that their expense limit would be increased, and a jump in money being able to be spread around.…

    • 654 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Minimum Wage Problem
    • 265 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Minimum Wage Problem

    Unemployment is one of the most continuous and growing problems in the United States. With an increase of minimum wage, unemployed workers would feel more encouraged to get a job and get out of debt. Minimum wage should be moved up to fifteen dollars because of the payments needed and the employment.…

    • 265 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Minimum Wage Inequality
    • 389 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Minimum Wage Inequality

    Moreover, there is an undeniable evidence in data, research materials, and tangible evidence that the FLSA’s federal minimum wage implementation in cities like New York, Chicago, and Las Angeles is not adequate enough to close the gap of income inequality. According to Inequality.org, the federal minimum wages, after accounting for inflation, have little or no…

    • 389 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Minimum Wage In The United States Essay
    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Minimum Wage In The United States Essay

    There are many different ways to solve the problems involving minimum wage. For example, “The Rhode Island legislature enacted an increase, taking the state minimum wage to $9.60 effective Jan. 1, 2016”(“State Minimum Wages”). Some states are increasing their minimum wages for example, Rhode Island is increasing their minimum wage by approximately seven percent in 2016. “The increases D.C. and Maryland passed during the 2014 session take effect July 1, 2015. D.C.'s new wage of $10.50 an hour makes it the first jurisdiction to cross the $10 threshold among the states. Maryland's minimum wage rose to $8.25 on July 1” (“Minimum Wage”). This is another example of states that are increasing their minimum wages in order to keep employees happy. Making equal payments per work skills or amounts of work, developing a minimum wage for some countries, and increasing minimum wage are all things that can be done in order to solve this minimum wage…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Importance Of Minimum Wage In The US
    • 202 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Importance Of Minimum Wage In The US

    Minimum wage in the U.S. is way to low for people to live on, especially in the economy that the U.S. has today. There are many people that struggle to get money because they are forced to take such a low wage that they struggle to pay all their bills and even get food. Also, college students who are struggling to get a job right out of college will have to take a low paying job and not only will they have to pay for their food and all other necessary things, but they also have to worry about paying off college loans. They spent thousands of dollars on getting a college degree and now they will spend half their life paying it off and they can’t even use the degree. People with kids not only have to support themselves but another person…

    • 202 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Importance Of Raising Minimum Wage
    • 2313 Words
    • 10 Pages

    The Importance Of Raising Minimum Wage

    There has been a lot of discussion regarding the increase of minimum wage across the nation. Currently, the wage is set at a low amount of $7.25 an hour. In today’s society it is almost impossible to live on only an income of $7.25 an hour especially for those who are raising a family. In President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union Address, the president proposed to raise the minimum wage to 9 dollars by the year 2015 (Luhby). A higher minimum wage would help people living in poverty by providing better means of financial stability, and it would also improve the chances of those people trying to escape poverty stricken living conditions. Another bonus to increasing the minimum wage is that it could potentially…

    • 2313 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics