Preview

Minimum Wage

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
524 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Minimum Wage
Minimum Wage

In the United States Minimum Wage is approaching record lows. Even with recent increases inflation is one of the main reasons that workers are being paid less for labor than they were back in the Seventies. There are about 3 million workers in the United States that worked full time year round last year and still fell below the National poverty level. If everyone earns exactly the same amount of money, then the income distribution would be perfectly equal. If no one earns any money except for one person, who earns all of the money, then the income distribution would be perfectly unequal. In a normal society Income Distribution is usually somewhere in the middle of perfectly equal or unequal. When a small number of people start receiving a large portion of the income in a society, the government tries to find ways to redistribute income. Governments try to stop the rich from getting richer, and the poor from getting poorer in order to achieve a good balance in income distribution. Minimum wage laws are a way that the federal and state governments balance income distribution.

2.
Minimum Wage is considered a price floor. Minimum wage laws determine the lowest price possible that any employer must pay for labor. In the traditional minimum wage model the quantity of supplied labor is greater then the quantity demanded. Minimum wage is above equilibrium price and quantity. Minimum wage prevents labor supplied and labor demanded from moving toward equilibrium price and quantity. Minimum wage levels become the floor and wages can not fall below the floor price. In the first two Minimum wage graphs a study that was done in New Jersey to show the effects of a minimum wage increase in employment. One of the main arguments against increasing minimum wage is that it would cause an increase in job loss. The graphs show that there was not a huge difference in employment when New Jersey after they increased minimum wage from $4.25 to $5.00. The third

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    As the minimum wage increases, so does inflation. If an employer has to pay higher wages, then the price of the product or service being produced will have to cost more in order to pay the employee. In return the prices of all goods and services will rise, and the person earning higher wages, makes no gain. In some instances, a pay hike would not make a livable wage, but in fact could make it worse. People who normally get tax breaks for having a low income, would now end up paying more in taxes and may actually end up making less money overall. Higher minimum wages force employers to cut back on training, which deprive low wage workers of any chance of long-term advancement, in return for a small increase in current income. Having higher wages for low-paid positions might also discourage workers from gaining new skills. In most circumstances, minimum wage workers may start off at minimum wage and then as time goes on and their skills are refined, they end up getting paid more. So while many people may start off at minimum wage, many of these people don't necessarily stay fixed at minimum wage. There are many minimum wage jobs that offer advancement…

    • 2607 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Wage problem is an important topic that is related to sociology and economics and it is also an important part that ordinary people are close interested. As the currencies performance of the value of labor, wage is the main source of the workers’ life, maintaining the survival and development of every worker and their family members. However, it is also the material basis for social stability. The minimum wage in the form of a national law to impose an important guarantee for low-income groups of workers, most of the world market economy countries have established this system. There are some theoretical models and theoretical research achievements of several minimum wage systems. Also analyzed from both positive and negative economic effects…

    • 1537 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Minimum wage was introduced during the time of the Great Depression by President Roosevelt. Citizens in states which have a higher minimum wage say that states with a lower minimum wage cannot live off of such a small wage, and that a higher minimum wage will create higher economy growth and more jobs and minimum wage is causing a significant gap between upper classes and lower classes. Businesses say that it will be difficult to pay their workers more and that they would have to layoff workers and reduce hiring as well. This would make it difficult for low-income workers to find jobs that require skill and it would also hurt low-income families. In general, minimum wage has drawbacks in terms of reducing job opportunities for adults and causing…

    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    All of the people live in the world. Different people have the different position in the society. However, we must stay and play a right role in the society. Each position has their own responsibility. And every people should use their ways to make the country become more powerful. The first key point is keep our society balance. So raising the minimum wage might be a good solution. According to the article named Should the Federal Minimum Wage Be Increased? says “A minimum wage increase would help to reduce race and gender inequality.” The figure shows that despite representing 47% of Us workers, women make up 63% of minimum wage workers. (Issues, 2011)African Americans represent 12% of the US workforce, and make up 17.7% minimum wage earners. 16% of the labor force is Hispanic, and they represent 21.5% workers making the minimum wage. (Issues, 2011)In a time when the median income for women is 78% of the national median income, and African Americans and Hispanics make 67% and 79% of the median income respectively, increasing the minimum wage is necessary to create a more equitable income distribution for disadvantaged groups. It’s helpful to keep balance in the society. Nevertheless, we also need to know there are also have some disadvantage. “Raising the minimum wage would increase the price of consumer goods” says Chad Stone. A 2013 article by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago stated that if the minimum wage is increased,…

    • 1240 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    How To Raise Minimum Wage

    • 1206 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The minimum wage is the lowest wage permitted by law or by special agreement, but as of late many minimum wage workers have been complaining about their low wage of 7.25 an hour. Many people also believe that the low minimum wage is the reason why a lot of people are in poverty and why there are so many poor people. Common sense would have you believe that if you raise minimum wage you raise the standard of living and you bring people out of poverty, right? Wrong. Contrary to popular belief that is not true AT ALL. Raising the minimum wage is not only bad for the economy, but it also does not help the poor it actually hurts them in a way.…

    • 1206 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Increase Minimum Wage

    • 96 Words
    • 1 Page

    For those who are paid minimum wage, everyday living is a struggle. Minimum wage is the smallest amount of money that a boss can legally pay their employee. As of now, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. When people are paid minimum wage they can’t live comfortably. Raising the federal minimum wage is imperative, even though some may think differently. If the minimum wage was increased, people would be able to earn a living wage standard, and avoid poverty; however, some would argue that by increasing the minimum wage would negatively impact the economy.…

    • 96 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 2012 the richest 1% of the US population earned 22.83% of the nation's total pre-tax income resulting in the widest gap between the rich and the poor since the 1920s. A 2015 study found that the decrease in the inflation-adjusted value of the minimum wage since the 1980s has been a contributor to America's high levels of inequality. Increasing the minimum wage is necessary to create a more equitable income distribution for disadvantaged groups. Raising the minimum wage will also create a surplus in jobs, especially among workers our age. Minimum wage workers tend to be young.…

    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Minimum Wage Laws

    • 183 Words
    • 1 Page

    Minimum wage laws set the lowest remuneration an employer can pay an employee which protects employees from being taken advantage of and provides a fair amount for unskilled, entry level positions. Having a fair but low minimum wage should motivate people to better themselves, get educated and not live in poverty. Being paid more on either end of the scale is not a right just because one wants it. This is the self-centered type of thinking DesJardins refers to regarding people "trying to priviledge their own selfish wants by calling them rights (2011, p. 40)". Unlike minimum wage laws, maximum wage laws should not exist for at least a few reasons. A maximum wage penalizes those who work harder than the average person, and it would be impossible…

    • 183 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The definition can mean anything to anyone. The fact is that small businesses fail every day for a variety of reasons and that “empirical studies have documented other methods by which businesses and markets adjust to minimum wage increases” (Wilson, Mark. "The Negative Effects of Minimum Wage Laws." cato.org. CATO Institute, 21 June 2013. Web. 16 Sept. 2013. http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pub/pdf /PA701 .pdf). The adjustments that businesses and markets make in response to minimum wage increases span the spectrum from relatively minor such as employers cutting worker training and cutting back or eliminating fringe benefits to relatively major adjustments like installing labor saving devises or even the hiring of illegal/undocumented workers. Ultimately left with no other options business will respond by passing increased cost on to the consumers. Supporting this theory is a 2004 “comprehensive review of more than 20 minimum wage studies looking at price effects found that a 10 percent increase in…

    • 2254 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Minimum wage has been a controversial and highly debated topic since it was first introduced during the 1930s in the United States. Today, most of the world’s countries have some type of minimum wage. In this paper, I will answer questions as to why was minimum wage introduced in the first place? Which country had the world’s first minimum wage? Where is minimum wage going in the future? What affect does minimum wage have on unemployment rate? Also, this paper is going to explain the history of minimum wage in the United States and around the…

    • 97 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Minimum wage is the lowest wage permitted by law or by a special agreement that can be applied for an employee or put simply, the lowest amount of pay that an employee can make. Governments set a minimum wage on businesses in hope for reduced poverty and increases in the standard of living. Minimum wages are beneficial up to a line, when minimum wage is too high, it makes businesses make crucial decisions and must save money by firing workers, reducing output, and increasing prices on products. Over the years, the federal minimum wage has increased and has been beneficial up to the minimum wage increase in July 24, 2009 from $6.55 to $7.25. After the increase, the unemployment rate has soared and businesses fired worker and increased their prices. For this reason, it would be beneficial to the economy if the minimum wage is reduced back to $6.55 because it will decrease the unemployment rate, increase GDP, and help youth and unskilled workers in the job industry.…

    • 1294 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Minimum Wage Inequality

    • 389 Words
    • 2 Pages

    This policy paper’s main objective is to attempt to answer the question, " to what extent does income inequality relates to federal minimum wage". Though it is obvious that income inequality exists in every State, ethnicity, and generation, what makes it an important topic to discuss is the growing infliction of unequal distribution of household or individual income across the various participants in an American economy. Therefore, even with an existing policy that was passed in 1938, to assist with the uneven wealth distribution, the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) enactment of federal minimum wage did little to improve the living status of the blue-collar workers throughout America. Thus, it is imperative to recognize the linkage and to what extent, if there is any, why a majority of Americans today still struggle to be well off or to become independent from governmental aid with the federal minimum wage policy in place, to which should stop or slow down the growing gap of income inequality.…

    • 389 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Minimum Wage Struggles

    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the United States of America, there is not a federal minimum wage. Some states have their own minimum wage, but can be very low, for example, Georgia’s minimum wage is only $5.15 an hour. There are also four states that do not require a minimum wage. People are struggling to a day to day basis with putting food on the table for their family. If our country had a required federal minimum wage of $15 an hour, there would be fewer people who will struggle financially.…

    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Minimum Wage In America

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages

    With a higher minimum wage, parents will then finally have time to be with their family. Which will prevent the children turning violent due to their parent/s being more involved in their life. If people worked in a higher minimum wage then they’ll probably be more encouraged to go school. With their sustainable paycheck, they’ll most likely have more time and the money to earn a degree so they can be prone to better opportunities. In addition, the economy will rise with a higher minimum wage. Most people think that a raise in people’s paycheck will only cause inflation or the economy will go down, when in fact, that is not true. In the report “Working Poor in America,” by Oxfam America stated, “Effects on prices are also minimal, as one study found that household food costs would rise by no more than a dime a day.” While people worry about inflation rising really high, the truth is that there will only be a minor rise of cost in food. Which should not really be a problem, since a higher minimum wage should be able to support you enough. As a further matter, the economy will rise because people won’t need to rely on government programs as much. With a higher minimum wage, people will be able to pay their bills and necessities, without having to need as much help from the government. Taxpayers…

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Living from Minimum Wage

    • 738 Words
    • 3 Pages

    We know in the world of today, most households have two incomes to maintain the basic everyday needs. We all have worked jobs that paid bare minimum, gave crappy hours along with fatigue. Gilbert and Henslin divided the lower class into the Working Poor and the Underclass (Gilbert The American Class Structure 1998). The Working Poor’s employment is in the service and manual labor and the Underclass relies solely on government aid and has not participate in the workforce.…

    • 738 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics