One of the most frequently asked questions in our country seems to be will minimum wage being raised or lowered affect poverty. Poverty has struck many people in the United States across the nation. With this occurring in our country poverty will continue to affect millions of Americans each year. The federal minimum wage ought to be raised because it would fortify the economy and enable Americans to out of poverty.
Increasing minimum wage will make workers more financially stable, if the wage doesn’t increase it will be harder for people to make a living. Many people in the United States continue to be in poverty even while working a minimum wage job. The Missouri minimum wage is $7.85, the national average nationwide is $7.25. With the minimum wage being $7.85 in Missouri a worker would only receive $1,256 a month. This income would be okay for the average high school or college student, but not for a parent who maybe didn 't finish high school and has a family to take care of. This forces a minimum wage worker to rely on the government for things like food stamps, cash aid, housing assistance, and health care. “Increasing the minimum wage can be part of a comprehensive poverty-reduction package in developing countries but should not be the only, or even the main, tool to reduce poverty”. Minimum wage workers spend more of their income on things like housing and never get to a point to be financially comfortable causing more people to go into poverty.

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