English 112
6-15-2015
Rogerian
In President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union address, Obama advocated for increasing the federal minimum wage to $9 per hour. The timing of Obama’s speech comes at a time when income inequality has become the biggest economic issue in the United States of America. During the Great Depression, The United States of America designed a minimum wage as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Since its inception, the government required minimum wage has grown from 25 cents to $7.25 per hour. Unfortunately, the erosion of consumer buying power has decreased at a compounding rate and in America’s consumerist society the expected standard of living has also gone up with inflation. In response to rising inflation with the Federal minimum wage, states should be allowed to make the decision on price floors such as minimum wage.
While people working fast food jobs are mandating 15 dollars an hour, no one addresses the consequences that can be expected from the increased wages for little to no skill jobs. If the minimum wage was increased across the board, it would force companies to overpay for labor which is not good for economy because it does not allow for efficient markets. When markets are not efficient prices of goods and services can experience negative upward and downward pressures on the prices of the factors of production. Overall, if wages were increased too high and too quickly, it would have an instant negative Impact and serious Long-term ramifications The "living wage” is the foundation of the minimum wage debate. The “Living Wage” is a arbitrarily imposed number that will supposedly lift people out of poverty and increase the amount a worker would need to earn on a monthly or annual basis in order to meet what is considered basic living expenses Increasing the minimum wage is not a terrible idea. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics for people making less than 75000, the psychological