Raising The Minimum Wage Essay

The United States has had a national minimum wage for workers since 1938. President Roosevelt established the price floor for labor after various states adopted differing laws for workers. He believed the government needed to regulate the workforce to improve working conditions, like preventing child labor and taking advantage of passive workers. Doing this, he thought, would optimize the country’s resources. Over the years, Congress has raised the minimum wage many times to account for inflation and the increase in productivity. The national minimum wage is currently $7.25, introduced by Congress in 2007. Many citizens and politicians find it is time for a raise in the minimum wage. In 2010, legislation was proposed to raise the minimum in three stages to $10.10 and would continue to adjust to inflation. An even more radical proposal is to raise the wage floor to $15. There are many citizens, though, that oppose any change in the minimum wage. As decisions are being made, it is imperative the United States raise

The simple fact is that based on the CBO, there will be less jobs available and some will have to suffer even more than they were before to help raise the economic status of others. Furthermore, the minimum wage might not even be the root of the problem. Richard Burkhauser claims, “They are poor because they don’t have enough hours” (Mantel 79). Studies show that 40 percent of workers in poor families actually earn more than $10.10, so the minimum wage isn’t the problem because those who make more than the projected minimum are still in poverty (Mantel 79). In addition, after Burkhauser did a study “examining states that had raised their minimum wage, [he] found..there was no change in the overall poverty rate in the state and...there was no change in the poverty rate in households with workers” (Mantel