The Minimum Wage
The Minimum Wage: Who does it really affect?
A very controversial question that often comes up is whether or not we should increase, decrease, or eliminate the minimum wage. The Last time we saw a change in the federal minimum wage was July, 24 2009. It was set to $7.25 and we haven’t seen a change since. “The average cost-of-living increase over the past decade is about 26 percent. This means that an item purchased ten years ago would have cost about 26 percent less than it costs to purchase that same item now.”(What has been the Cost-of-living) Yet we still haven’t seen a change in the minimum wage. Paying people a living wage could help increase productivity and happiness of millions of workers across the United States.
The minimum wage …show more content…
Although workers under age 25 represented only about one-fifth of hourly paid workers, they made up about half of those paid the federal minimum wage or less. Among employed teenagers (ages 16 to 19) paid by the hour, about 11 percent earned the minimum wage or less, compared with about 2 percent of workers age 25 and older.” Nearly half of all working people in 2015 who made minimum wage were under the age of 25. About seven percent of part time workers (those who work 35 hours or less) made minimum wage, compared to about two percent of full time workers. (Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers) The industry that employed the most amounts of minimum wage workers was leisure and hospitality. Nearly 3/5 of all workers paid at or below the minimum wage were employed in leisure and hospitality. This industry mainly includes fast food places and restaurants. The total percent of men ages 16-24 that were paid at or below minimum wage was 5.4 percent. For women 9.5 percent were paid at or below minimum wage in 2015. 7 percent of part time workers that are men were paid at or below minimum wage. 7.5 percent of part time workers that are women were paid at or below minimum wage in …show more content…
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Apr. 2016, www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage/2015/home.htm. Accessed 25 Mar. 2017.(Primary Source)
L, Jake. “MInimum Wage.” 26 Mar. 2017. (Formal Interview)
"Should Teens Earn Less Than Adults? Some Lawmakers Believe That Lowering the Minimum Wage for Young People Will Encourage More Businesses to Hire Them. Would You Say This Is a Smart Move to Help Teens Get Jobs--or Is It Fundamentally Unfair? Scholastic Choices, 0883475X, Feb2017, Vol. 32, no. 5," Feb. 2017: n. pag. Primary Search [EBSCO]. 1 Mar. 2017.(Database Source)
The Cost of Living among Wage-earners: Fall River, Massachusetts, October, 1919. Boston, MA: National Industrial Conference Board, 1919. Print. (Book Source)
"What Has Been the Cost-of-living Increase for the past Ten Years?" Reference. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2017. (Internet
A very controversial question that often comes up is whether or not we should increase, decrease, or eliminate the minimum wage. The Last time we saw a change in the federal minimum wage was July, 24 2009. It was set to $7.25 and we haven’t seen a change since. “The average cost-of-living increase over the past decade is about 26 percent. This means that an item purchased ten years ago would have cost about 26 percent less than it costs to purchase that same item now.”(What has been the Cost-of-living) Yet we still haven’t seen a change in the minimum wage. Paying people a living wage could help increase productivity and happiness of millions of workers across the United States.
The minimum wage …show more content…
Although workers under age 25 represented only about one-fifth of hourly paid workers, they made up about half of those paid the federal minimum wage or less. Among employed teenagers (ages 16 to 19) paid by the hour, about 11 percent earned the minimum wage or less, compared with about 2 percent of workers age 25 and older.” Nearly half of all working people in 2015 who made minimum wage were under the age of 25. About seven percent of part time workers (those who work 35 hours or less) made minimum wage, compared to about two percent of full time workers. (Characteristics of Minimum Wage Workers) The industry that employed the most amounts of minimum wage workers was leisure and hospitality. Nearly 3/5 of all workers paid at or below the minimum wage were employed in leisure and hospitality. This industry mainly includes fast food places and restaurants. The total percent of men ages 16-24 that were paid at or below minimum wage was 5.4 percent. For women 9.5 percent were paid at or below minimum wage in 2015. 7 percent of part time workers that are men were paid at or below minimum wage. 7.5 percent of part time workers that are women were paid at or below minimum wage in …show more content…
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Apr. 2016, www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage/2015/home.htm. Accessed 25 Mar. 2017.(Primary Source)
L, Jake. “MInimum Wage.” 26 Mar. 2017. (Formal Interview)
"Should Teens Earn Less Than Adults? Some Lawmakers Believe That Lowering the Minimum Wage for Young People Will Encourage More Businesses to Hire Them. Would You Say This Is a Smart Move to Help Teens Get Jobs--or Is It Fundamentally Unfair? Scholastic Choices, 0883475X, Feb2017, Vol. 32, no. 5," Feb. 2017: n. pag. Primary Search [EBSCO]. 1 Mar. 2017.(Database Source)
The Cost of Living among Wage-earners: Fall River, Massachusetts, October, 1919. Boston, MA: National Industrial Conference Board, 1919. Print. (Book Source)
"What Has Been the Cost-of-living Increase for the past Ten Years?" Reference. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2017. (Internet