Pros And Cons Of Minimum Wage In Virginia

The minimum wage in Virginia should be increased to reflect the cost of living within the State. The number of working poor are increasing. There are minimum wage jobs available throughout the state, however earned wages are not sufficient to allow for a manageable quality of life. The current minimum wage in Virginia is $7.25 per hour, in keeping with the Federal Minimum Wage rate of the same amount. According to the Labor Law Center (2015), Virginia’s last minimum wage increase was in 2009; the wage increased from $6.55 to the current rate.

Scope of the Problem

History of the problem According to Virginia’s Legislative Information System (2017), Virginia State Code § 40.1-28.10 concerns minimum wage in the state. It states, “Every employer

“President Roosevelt signed the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) into law in early 1938. The FLSA introduced sweeping regulations to protect American workers from being exploited, and created a mandatory federal minimum wage of 25 cents an hour in order to maintain a "minimum standard of living necessary for health, efficiency and general well-being, without substantially curtailing employment" (Minimum Wage, 2017). Virginia’s minimum wage policy has always been aligned with the federal guidelines for wages. The last increase in the minimum wage policy was in

In addition to the benefit mentioned above that relates to small business, prices for services would be kept low. For example, if lower wage employees were paid at a higher rate, those costs would be passed to the consumer. A hamburger would cost $6.00 instead of two for $3.00. That is a pro for the employee but a con for the consumer.

The cons however, are not worth the pros. The lower wage worker is usually working because he or she needs employment to survive (as do most of us). Because there are not many opportunities, the lower wage worker usually has more stress to try to make ends meet. Because they are paid less, they spend less and do not help stimulate the economy. They usually qualify for public assistance, which can drain the economy. The goal of the United States should be to get rid of poverty. That will never happen with such a low minimum wage. If we want people not to rely on public assistance, they must be able to earn enough to feed their