Should The Minimum Wage Be Raised

The Receding Minimum Wage The minimum wage has, since it was instituted in 1938 been a point contested by many. I believe that the minimum wage needs to be increased (Burgess ,574). There are many arguments in favor of this position. The fact that the current minimum wage barely keeps many families fed, clothed, and with a roof over their heads is very concerning. In addition, it forces many college students to take out extremely heavy school loans with no hope of paying said loans back for years to come and has only allowed American citizens to maintain basic living conditions. Finally, it is slowly causing people to spend less and less money. These are the most relevant and persisting arguments in favor of raising the minimum wage from its current federal rate of $7.25. For America to continue its economic stability and comfortable living situation, the minimum wage must be raised immediately. Many parents earning minimum wage salaries struggle to provide a stable living environment for their families.
“Raising the minimum wage… would ensure… that a family of four with a parent working full-time at the minimum wage does not have to raise its children in poverty.” (Furman and Parrot) Fear and worry are very strong and powerful emotions that are often caused by monetary issues. If minimum wage was raised part of that fear and worry would disappear and a mother or father would be able to rest easy knowing they could provide for their family. A surprising fact is that 2/3rd of people earning the minimum wage have been below the poverty line since 1959 (Sanghoee). If people have lived below the poverty line since 1959 then there must be something wrong with the standard minimum wage. Just as adults struggle living with minimum wage, college students do as