Texas Minimum Wage Essay

The State of Texas should follow the lead of other states across the country and begin to raise the minimum wage in increments. While it does not appear the federal minimum wage will be raised in the near future, Texas can act to assist the citizens of this state by raising the minimum wage. This should be done to accommodate for the growing inflation and productivity, provide the necessary income for individuals to provide for their family, and to reduce the need for government assistance programs. In 1968, the minimum wage was $1.60 and was $10.75 in today’s money. Ever since then, the actual value has steadily decreased while the minimum wage has increased (A History of the Minimum Wage, 2014). This means while Congress has been alleviating the minds of American workers by increasing the minimum wage, the actual value has been decreasing to where it is now. Over the years, people earning at or below the minimum wage have slowly lost their purchasing power while their productivity has risen. Per the Economic Policy Institute, if the minimum wage had been raised according to the productivity output, it would be $18.42 in 2014 (Mishel, L., Gould, E., & Bivens, J, 2015). This would put

55% who must pay for rent or a home, pay for groceries, and possibly help support a spouse and kids all while earning less than half of what they should be. It is not hard to notice it is impossible to buy what one used to be able to for $20 at the grocery store, or rent a small apartment downtown for a reasonable price. Jobs once meant for teens gaining some extra pocket money, have shifted to hard working adults and parents trying to provide the necessities for their family. Not only has the government not kept up with the inflation and productivity of the workers, but also the need for the shifting demographic of those earning minimum wage to provide for themselves and their