Persuasive Essay: The Living Wage Debate

* what is the living wage * what are the arguments in favor of the living wage * what are the arguments against the living wage * which side do you agree with and why
The basic needs of living include food to eat, clean water to drink, a place to live-shelter, and clothes to wear. The living wage is “a wage that is sufficient enough to provide the necessities and comforts essential to an acceptable standard of living” (Merriam-Webster online dictionary). These “necessities” are things needed for every human being to survive, it does not provide the things people want and or desire. The living wage attempts to control welfare by enforcing wage rates that are above the federal law requirements of minimum wage to fit living expenses (Compensation pg.67). There are those who oppose and those who support the living wage. Low income working families would argue that the living wage is important, while businesses and employers beg to differ.
For low income working families, the living wage is a way to prevent them from falling into scarcity. As the economy grows, these low income working families are working more but are being paid less. The whole concept of the living wage is that no one in the workforce should be poor. Those who work full time should be compensated in that it meets the standards of the
With a living wage enforced, businesses will stop hiring people because they are not willing to compensate at that certain level of pay. Not only will this create a large number of unemployment, but businesses may begin to make up for their lost by creating higher prices for their products or services. As a result, customers would begin to go elsewhere for cheaper prices and businesses will potentially loose profits and