The federal minimum wage is the lowest wage at which employers may pay their employees. Since July 24, 2009 the U.S. federal minimum wage has been set at $7.25 per hour. In 2014 President Obama proposed raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 and tying it to an inflation index. The federal minimum wage applies to all federal employees including those who work on military bases, national parks and veterans working in nursing homes.
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@ISIDEWITH14yrs14Y
Yes
@9GKC2NX 2yrs2Y
Minimum wage needs to be enough that someone working 40 hours a week at that wage can afford housing, transportation, food and health care without needing government assistance. Wages lower than that threshold essentially promote government subsidization of employers
@9GLP9H3Republican2yrs2Y
if minimum wage is an issue find another job; there are so many opportunities. raising the minimum wage would raise inflation.
@9J99ZLK1yr1Y
If we rise the minimum wage prices will just go up
@9WR32F88mos8MO
That's "technically true". California did it this year starting 2024-04-01 for some fast food places, rising from §15 / h to §20 / h, and prices rose about §0.15 - §0.25 / item.
@9GKZP7F2yrs2Y
I agree but someone with a big family should not be working a job that has minimum wage so I do not think it should be raised.
@9GKCTJQ2yrs2Y
Minimum wage needs to be abolished because it forces small businesses to comply, and since smaller businesses cant keep up with it, it makes them go out of business while big business can grow and become monopolies.
@9WR32F88mos8MO
California did it, rising from §10 / h to §15 / h.
In the first year, minimum wage increased by §1 / h for big business, and the following year §1 / h for small businesses, on the idea that people going to work at large businesses have lunch, get dry cleaning, etc, at small ones, which is how they'd be able to afford it in the second year.
@9GC2374 2yrs2Y
people cant live off of minimum wadge, the price of food alone is outrageous, the housing market, HUD doesn't even give people the amount of money to find a house that is halfway decent or has working anything. how are we supposed to live on a dollar a day when some of us need more food because of a medical condition. most people cant even get AN APPLE with one dollar because apples are like five friggen dollars. why are we made to live like this, but others get to live lavish lives where they get anything and everything they want?
@9GC53TF2yrs2Y
I agree with this comment, taxes and inflation have been on the rise without, any raise in pay to accommodate or make living manageable.
A higher minimum wage could stimulate economic growth. When people have more disposable income, they're likely to spend more, and this increased demand can ignite business growth and potentially lead to job creation. Moreover, adequate compensation can improve workers' morale and productivity, which can benefit businesses in the long run.
@Patriot-#1776Constitution11mos11MO
You're not a libertarian. Libertarians know that the minimum wage does nothing but outlaw jobs.
@9GC57BJ2yrs2Y
They should increase it or how else would they pay for rent, bills, taxes, food supplies, and needs? And if they have kids, how would they feed them or pay any of those with one dollar?!
@FearlessCoatiRepublican2yrs2Y
Consider the potential inflationary effects of increasing the federal minimum wage. For example, businesses might have to raise prices to compensate for higher labor costs, making everyday goods and services more expensive for everyone, including those on minimum wage. In fact, a Congressional Budget Office report estimated that a $15 minimum wage could result in 1.3 million lost jobs. Instead, how about we explore alternative solutions like expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit to help low-income families without the risk of job loss?
@Patriot-#1776Constitution11mos11MO
Then just raise the minimum wage to one million dollars an hour and all our problems would be solved, by that line of reasoning. Except that, and any increase in the minimum wage, would make everything astronomically worse. Businesses would be forced to raise their prices even higher, lay off hundreds of thousands or millions even of workers, and cut corners in all possible areas
@9S8MS8CRepublican11mos11MO
The minimum wage is not meant to be for living off of; it’s for teenagers to get a sense of what working is like. If your job isn’t paying enough, go find another one—there are billions of jobs available. If you raise the minimum wage now, companies will just raise the prices of their products, which will make it even harder for poor people to afford things. It just ends up screwing over poor people and smaller businesses. Smaller businesses will not have enough money, and it does nothing but harm everyone. So, no, it shouldn’t be raised.
@9GBZCXB 2yrs2Y
Its logical to raise minimum wage right along with the cost of living. How can you live off a low minimum wage if your cost of living is two times more than what you make.
@9S8MS8CRepublican 11mos11MO
The minimum wage is not meant to be for living off of; it’s for teenagers to get a sense of what working is like. If your job isn’t paying enough, go find another one—there are billions of jobs available. If you raise the minimum wage now, companies will just raise the prices of their products, which will make it even harder for poor people to afford things. It just ends up screwing over poor people and smaller businesses. Smaller businesses will not have enough money, and it does nothing but harm everyone. So, no, it shouldn’t be raised.
@9GKZF7B 2yrs2Y
i think it should go up cause people can work 10 hours a day for 5-6 days a week and and barely be making it by
@9GL35N6Peace and Freedom 2yrs2Y
Yes! Minimum wage should definitely be increased! This person has a really good point and they're right. The economy today is crazy expensive. Many people are living paycheck to paycheck, or others have many jobs at once barely making it. It doesn't make sense how jobs pay very little when the economy is not very affordable.
@9GL2DPD2yrs2Y
Yes very true you can be making 16 an hour and making barley making almost $2000 but because inflation is going up it's harder to get by because your income is the same but prices are going up.
@ISIDEWITH14yrs14Y
No
@9GQLPLCRepublican 2yrs2Y
The government SHOULD raise the federal minimum wage. As costs of living rise, and minimum wage is not adjusted for inflation, it gets harder and harder for people to support themselves and their family's basic needs.
@9GQMQ4N2yrs2Y
Yes, I agree! Inflation is getting out of control. I have no idea how adults are making it on minimum wage alone.
@9GQMG7H2yrs2Y
The government should raise the federal minimum wage because of how expensive things are becoming. Also the difference of how much you may get paid doing the same job in different states because one state goes by federal minimum wage for everything, but others may have their own.
@9GQMNTH2yrs2Y
The government should slowly raise minimum wage with inflation but if you move it too much, then everything gets more expensive including food attractions or anything.
@4Y59ZBF 2yrs2Y
Minimum wage was intended to be a living wage and has failed to keep up with inflation/worker productivity/cost of living.
@9GWQ4BH2yrs2Y
Yes I agree. Even though in an ideal world, everyone would be able to make a living wage, but unfortunately, it would just not be feasible for all businesses to be required to pay such a high wage in this current economy, while also still remaining profitable and open for business. Such legislation, although done with good intentions, would likely force a lot of companies to lay off a lot of their workers, leading to high levels of unemployment, and considerable damage to the economy.
@9FVLRY7 2yrs2Y
The government SHOULD raise the federal minimum wage. As costs of living rise, and minimum wage is not adjusted for inflation, it gets harder and harder for people to support themselves and their family's basic needs.
@9GX9TFBPeace and Freedom 2yrs2Y
People in the working class and below need money to survive, and $7/h is not enough. They have to work multiple jobs and won't have any spare time since they're always working. If minimum wage workers get paid a living wage, then that will leave more time for them to do other things. How would you feel if you spent all your time working a dead-end job and not even getting paid enough for it?
@9GXDBZH2yrs2Y
I agree because people that work minimum wage jobs may not be able to care for their children properly due to them being at work all the time. The amount they get paid is also not enough for them to take care of their basic necessities.
@9GXBG7JIndependent2yrs2Y
As human beings we need to be able to afford everything we can because in our country it seems the government wants money more than our health and we’ll being so they want to keep us alive but not living
@ISIDEWITH13yrs13Y
Yes, and adjust it every year according to inflation
@9FB87S2 2yrs2Y
Top Agreement
A minimum wage allows workers to have the basic right of labor, and adjusting it every year according to inflation could prevent the loss of jobs.
@9FDCMG82yrs2Y
increasing minimum wage increases business expenses therefore increasing prices on services and products thus cancelling the increased pay by increasing cost of living
Workers should have basic right of labor, but adujusting the minium wage every year can be very unstable to the workers.
While it's understood that annual adjustments could introduce a degree of unpredictability, it's also important to consider the historical context. For instance, in Australia, wage adjustments are made annually based on inflation and other economic factors. This has not led to instability, but rather it has helped maintain a decent living standard for low-wage workers. Moreover, tying minimum wage to inflation has been an effective tool against poverty in countries like France. What could be a counter-solution to balance the need for a fair wage and the perceived instability annual adjustments might bring?
@9FBPT992yrs2Y
Minimum wage is the starting job/inflation rises along with this wage and should not be allowed to rise.
@9FCCTMPWomen’s Equality2yrs2Y
The issue of raising the minimum wage lies in the concept of the circular flow. Yes, we can increase the minimum wage, however, this would be detrimental to small businesses and allow large corporations to take a larger piece of the industry. Large corporations such as Target are for raising the minimum wage, not because they are a loving and caring retail giant, but because it allows them to compete better against their competition, and push other businesses that can't afford to pay their employees raised minimum wage out of the industry. When these corporations need to lay off employee… Read more
@9GJSXT4Independent 2yrs2Y
We can provide data and charts showing the separation and widening gap of minimum wage in comparison to the cost of living. We don't need to. We just need to ask individuals working full time and have 3 roommates. It has become lunacy. All we want it to work hard and have the same opportunities previous generations have had.
@9GK3PQM2yrs2Y
It should be pointed out that, back in the 1950s, when the US was an economic powerhouse, tax rates on the wealthy were much higher, and CEOs’ comparative salaries (compared to line workers) were much lower. We have have economic success and still lower the gap between the rich and the poor.
the mimimum wage gap is clearly miles apart from each other which is a problem that should be taken care of because of the high rise of inflation
@Devroe 2yrs2Y
The minimum wage in this country is set ridiculously low and no one making this little could have a hope for sustaining themselves without assistance or working multiple jobs. At $7.25 an hr. a person working full-time, 40 hrs/week would only be making $1160.00 a month before taxes. So let’s break that down. The tax rate for this amount of income is 12% which would be roughly $139. $1160-$139 = $1020. The average rent for a 1 br apartment in this country is around $1100 but let’s be generous and say this person got lucky and found a room for rent for $600. $1020-$600 = $420. On… Read more
@9GTBY3Y 2yrs2Y
People making minimum wages don't pay taxes, as a matter of fact, 57% of households don't pay federal income tax at all. Never have I lived in a minimum wage household, so maybe I'm a bit naive, but raising minimum wage only makes goods and services more expensive, inflating the economy, which is not something that I want.
@Devroe 2yrs2Y
I disagree with this pretty much in its entirety. I’m not sure where your statistics came from but a quick google search will tell you that the number of households who don’t pay income tax is about 40%. Also, this information doesn’t add anything to this particular discussion. I, unlike you, have lived in a minimum wage household as well as worked minimum wage jobs myself. I can assure you I paid income tax. I was able to get the majority of that refunded come tax time, but it was still income that would have served me better throughout the year versus in a lump sum at the end. Read more
@9GTCJK92yrs2Y
Minimum wage jobs aren't meant for a person to live off of, and if the minimum wage was increased, big companies would fire more people and unemployment would increase.
@9GHSYR32yrs2Y
When inflation comes into play, the livable wage is no longer as livable as it once was. If we don’t raise the minimum wage along with inflation, then those food items and apartments that were once affordable will be unaffordable. The wage we are given for work as minimum wage employees needs to be enough to get us by, that is the entire point! If the government is unwilling to keep up with the inflation around the country, they are not committed to a providing a living wage.
@9GJ7QX72yrs2Y
The main problem with increasing wages is that if you increase the minimum wage, companies will just increase their prices. Even if we reduced wages anymore now, the prices may not change. We need to find a balance that would keep prices low, but wages at an acceptable standard. That's the tricky part. If you want to get paid more: Work harder, and you'll be compensated by your employer.
@9GLZ4NW 2yrs2Y
People do not get a living wage through laws passed by the government but through the state of the economy, the problem is due to the labor market not to the laws. Raising the minimum wage will just make it more difficult to get a job, force people to work more and cut people from the job market. Setting a minimum wage doesn't change the reality of the economy, private companies just follow the market, they are as greedy as the market let's them to be. That's why engineers have very high salaries and are not paid to a minimum wage because their work has more value and they have… Read more
@VulcanMan6 2yrs2Y
If you agree that the issue stems from private interests making for-profit decisions over our economy, then the solution should be to abolish that system of organization.
@9GJ7BZ92yrs2Y
Inflation will only get worse when we increase minimum wage. This country is already in a state of despair and it is important that we combat the inflation situation without making it worse.
@9GHZ2RG2yrs2Y
Increasing minimum wage increases the production, distribution and store cost of every product that is purchased. Therefore the product cost will increase for the individual at a higher rate. If one finds they need more money, then it is up to the individual to learn marketable trades to earn more, not the government to force companies to pay more for unskilled labor.
@ISIDEWITH12yrs12Y
Yes, and make it a living wage
@9FTPJ5C 2yrs2Y
Top Disagreement
they should not raise the minimum wage. If they do prices will rise and therefore it would do nothing and make a continuing cycle.
@9GKZCH7 2yrs2Y
You should not raise the minimum wage. Smaller businesses will go out of business and then we will live in corporate America. When you also raise the minimum wage then everything will go up.
@9GL3LPV2yrs2Y
I completely agree that is evidently how the economy works, even when women had gone into the workforce everything had gotten more expensive.
@9FYLDMH2yrs2Y
A 16 year old does not need to make a living wage. Increasing pay for all minimum wage workers will just drive up the costs of everything, in turn will increase the cost of living, which will cause an increase in minimum wage, a never ending cycle.
This hypothetical reach of a scenario doesn't include the fact that many teenagers who work help their families or save for later. Everyone deserves a living wage, otherwise, companies get to profit from the exploitation of the workers' labor.
This statement is likely coming from the same people who believe that a 16-year-old should be denied the option of abortion and fully care for a baby on her own. How can one generalize that a 16-year-old doesn't "need" to make a living wage? People who have a job at 16 years old likely stay with that job or similar ones for many years to come. This means they are also getting that same pay with very minimal raises and chances for advancements. Denying a living wage for 16-year-olds is denying a living wage for those in their mid-twenties. The argument that increasing wages will increase the cost of living quite literally does not make sense. When in reality what has been happening is that the cost of living is rising exponentially, and wages are remaining the same.
@9CJ6CB62yrs2Y
A 16 year old isn’t the only one working at McDonald’s, not to mention that so many of their workers don’t have many other options despite being on the doer side. A livable wage is essential to survival, and if that’s too much to ask, we have failed as a nation. The money could easily just come from the companies profits, especially with larger ones that have gained incredibly high returns.
@9H4FW4C 2yrs2Y
When minimum wage goes up, the cost of living will go up. There is no way for it to continuously be a “living wage” as a minimum wage worker.
@ISIDEWITH12yrs12Y
No, this will only cause prices to increase in a never ending cycle
@9FD6Z322yrs2Y
I think this may be true, but if an 18 year old is living on their own, they may need more money to be able to live off of, like $15 an hour instead of $12.
@9FDFW6N2yrs2Y
Yeah, so find a job that is paying more. There are well-paying jobs available; they just may be not as convenient or flexible, but they're there.
While I see where you're coming from, it's not always as simple as just finding a better-paying job. For example, someone may be working two jobs already just to make ends meet, and they simply don't have the time or energy to find and adjust to a new job - especially if it's less flexible. Plus, in many areas, higher paying jobs require qualifications that some people might not have and can't afford to get. What would be your solution to this problem?
While it's true that a young adult living on their own may need more income, raising the minimum wage might not be the best solution. Consider a small business struggling to turn a profit. If they're required to pay their employees $15 an hour, they may not be able to afford to hire as many workers, leading to job loss. Or, they might have to raise their prices to cover the increased labor cost, which would affect all of their customers. What do you think about this scenario? Could there be a better way to help young adults afford living expenses without potentially harming small businesses or consumers?
@9FDHRT82yrs2Y
I understand that more money out (wage increase) would require more money back in (price increase) but in states where the cost of living is astronomically high (example NY), its ridiculous that a $15 minimum wage cant afford someone to live any other way than paycheck to paycheck unless youre upstate in the middle of nowhere. I think the solution to this would start out with standardized pricing for housing around the country. Greedy landlords and people trying to make a bunch of “passive income” is screwing the market and forcing people with similar properties to jump the price,… Read more
@9FCJR7N2yrs2Y
Have a government brand of goods/services that have a set max price so there is an affordable form of most goods
While the idea of a government brand with maximum price caps sounds appealing, history has shown us it can lead to potential complications. For instance, the Soviet Union had a centrally planned economy where the government controlled prices. This resulted in chronic shortages of goods, poor quality, and a lack of innovation due to the absence of competition. How would we ensure quality and innovation in a system with government-set prices?
@9FG8SLP2yrs2Y
The prices would always raise anyway so for those who are stuck at minimum wage and the prices increase they are screwed due to the fact that the money they make won't be enough to survive.
@ISIDEWITH13yrs13Y
No, and eliminate all wage standards
@9FB87S2 2yrs2Y
Top Disagreement
Yes, eliminating all wage standards may let the hard worker get higher pay, and lazy worker get lower pay, but if there are no wage standards, there is a possibility that some people will compete for a job, which made the markets could "legally" make everyone's salary lower.
@9FC7TVK2yrs2Y
People are going to continue to compete for jobs wether there’s a change in pay or not everyone needs money
@GorillaChloe2yrs2Y
While it's true that everyone needs money and will continue to compete for jobs, it's not as simple as that. Consider the impact on those in low-wage jobs, often working multiple jobs just to make ends meet. If wages remain stagnant while the cost of living continues to rise, these individuals will face even greater financial hardship.
Let's look at the city of Seattle, for example. They gradually increased their minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021. Research conducted by the University of Washington found that workers earned more following the wage increase, and there was no… Read more
Oh, Seattle, the golden child of the $15 minimum wage movement. So, everyone's making more money and no one lost their job, right? Well, let's consider a few things. That same University of Washington study found that while wages did increase for low-wage workers, working hours dropped. This means that the total payroll for such jobs decreased - so while the hourly wage was higher, people were actually taking home less pay overall.
And let's not forget, Seattle is a booming city with a thriving tech industry which can arguably absorb higher labor costs better than smaller busin… Read more
@9FCNVCX2yrs2Y
The number of dollars doesn't matter. The value of dollars does. The real minimum wage is $0. So, by getting rid of the minimum wage, we would have the market adjust naturally to the value in which our work is actually valued under the real minimum wage.
@9CJ6CB62yrs2Y
Companies do not have the right to dictate and measure how much the persons worth is, because already it considers “non-essential jobs” to have “nonessential pay”. Take working at McDonald’s for example, it’s not enough to keep someone afloat, but how else do they keep people in that job without them hurting? It’s not nonessential, it’s just worth individually to them, because if it wasn’t essential, it wouldn’t exist.
@9FG6NNT2yrs2Y
Wage standards set a bare minimum which allow individuals to have the right to be paid a specific amount or more. This allows for no one one to be paid less than they deserve.
@9FG44K62yrs2Y
The federal minimum wage needs to be enough to allow people to actually live. I’ve studied this topic and it makes more economic sense.
@9GJF3HZ 2yrs2Y
If we eliminate all wage standard then the payment of worker will be up to the employer and it has been proven that giving people free reign has had dire repressions. While those more skilled will potentially get a higher pay, but they make up the minority of workers. The majority are much less skilled and with no minimum pay they may be cut, which will increase the rising unemployment rates. With no minimum pay people will not want to work, and with how low the wages are currently many worker's will quit, which will bottleneck the skilled workers leading to conflicts which will lead to public outcry, marches, and most commonly violent outbreaks so people can vent there frustrations about the problems that will arise(starvation, pollution, trash, disease, wide spread death, etc.).
@9GJFMFL2yrs2Y
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@jsimicConstitution3yrs3Y
The gov't should not be allowed to dictate the value of a worker's labor, or ignore the worker's relative contribution. Pay should be determined by market and meritocracy. The less you work, the less you get paid. The less people want the product/service, the less you get paid.
@9FRSC972yrs2Y
There is a difference between money per hour and money per project. Some of that statement is correct, the less you work, the less you should get paid, but that should only apply to people who get paid per project. If you get paid per hour, then the amount of work you do doesn't apply, it is up to your superiors to decide if you work hard enough.
@9FRSMCF2yrs2Y
This argument is invalid when you consider the average cost of living and inflation. Minimum wage is intended to live off of, and no human being in the United States can live off of $7.25/hour even if they work a full 40 hour work week. Not to mention, with the policies of forced birth following nationwide abortion bans in the states, many low-income workers will be forced to raise their children in poverty. In a free-market society, all work is valuable work and keeps the economy running. It is extremely classist and ignorant to state that federal minimum wage is based on how much you work and how valuable your job is.
@9FRT9VXWomen’s Equality2yrs2Y
should be paid more to have to deal with and control hostile work environments from customers and co-workers with more hours and more jobs
Most of the population of the USA is homeless or bankrupt. If the government were to increase minimum wage, people would be making more money to provide for themselves.
@ISIDEWITH12yrs12Y
No, most minimum wage jobs are meant to develop experience, not support a family
@9GLQ88D2yrs2Y
Top Disagreement
Lots of people working minimum wage jobs do have families and they deserve to be paid enough to support their families. Minimum wage workers are not just teenagers with no responsibilities.
@9GLT4B52yrs2Y
I think the minimum wage should be raised for workers who have trouble raising their families and the employer should provide the option to pay a worker more based on the number of family members they care for.
I think minimum wage jobs should pay more because people need money to live and minimum wage jobs may be the only job people are able to work at
@B5MMLDT 1mo1MO
Many hard workers are stuck in minimum wage jobs for decades. While they may be intended for teenagers, much of our society is built upon those jobs.
@9HCLLVWWomen’s Equality 2yrs2Y
most people working minimum wage jobs are not just teenagers without responsibilities. They have families that they need to support.
@9HKBX3V2yrs2Y
I agree with this statement because these companies could really be more sharing with higher mnimum wages cause some person are working paycheck to paycheck needing these jobs just to pay bills;and without extra money what if a accident were to come how would they pay hospital bills and things;plus these companies make millions and milliosn of dollars I'm sure they could up the minimum wage and not be so greedy with money and power
@9HHMNWZ2yrs2Y
Slay. First job I had as a teenager, I worked alongside a 45 year old mother of three with two other jobs. Raise minimum wage!! $11/hr is just simply not enough.
@9HLY5L92yrs2Y
Current minimum wage is not at a liveable wage in todays economy.
@ISIDEWITH12yrs12Y
Regardless, minimum wage standards should be adjusted by age group
@button_down_royalty_ 3yrs3Y
This seems interesting, however it does have the possibility to be potentially negative and ageist. Can anyone explain to me how this would work and why it would be beneficial? I´m happy to have a constructive discussion about it.
@8L3QY7Z5yrs5Y
Minimum wage should be determined by someones work ethic.
@8JQ6Q27Independent5yrs5Y
No This is not the solution. If you raise minimum waige evverything will just get more expensive en we'll be back from the start
@4RM4GSF5yrs5Y
This will hurt those people in poverty!!!
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