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Rance Seibold

Professor Diana Watkins

TR 10:30

29 November 2016

Maximum Wage?

Seven dollars and twenty-five cents an hour. That is the federal minimum wage as of

July 24, 2009 (Min. Wage, par.1). According to The United States Office of Personnel

Management, there are on average 2,087 hours worked per year (par. 1). Computing those two

numbers produces $15,080 of taxable income. Common sense tells us that income is not very

high. Due to this, some want to increase the federal minimum wage while others do not agree.

With people making double and even triple hourly wages with high school or equivalent

educations, should there be an increase to the federal minimum wage?

The reason for this controversy is the fact that there are many people who have to try to

live off of minimum wage. Living off of that kind of money can be deemed difficult for families,

single parents, or even single people. Fifteen thousand dollars a year is not very much money.

Imagine trying to feed, clothe, and support a family full of children on that kind of money. There

would have to be some major cutbacks in my life just to support myself!

On the other side, there is an educated argument on why the minimum wage should not

be increased. The loss of jobs is the largest area of concern. According to Jonathon M. Trugman,

raising the minimum wage to $15 dollars an hour would cause nearly one million people to lose

their jobs (par 4).

If increasing the minimum wage creates the fear of many Americans losing their jobs, it

is the governments job to find ways to combat this problem. The fact is that minimum wage is
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very low and hard to live on for anyone. For example, the job I held this summer paid fifteen

dollars an hour and that would have sustained myself yearly. However, if I were supporting a

family on those wages money would probably be scarce. If wages of more than double the

minimum wage could cause people to struggle to get by in todays world, why not increase the

amount? With the cost of living increasing year after year, why does the income of workers stay

the same?

These are questions that fuel the argument for the increase on minimum wage. The

enacting of an increase on the minimum wage is not something that will happen overnight. It has

to be done by Congress which we know is a long and drawn out process. Even if it does get to

Congress, there will still be many who oppose the bill. Citizens need to become advocates to

gain support for this issue and better the lives of many in this country.

To become an advocate, people should educate themselves on the pros and cons of an

increase in federal minimum wage. Advocates should talk to Congressmen and women to gain a

better understanding of the effect of a change. Just as with any issue in a democracy, the citizens

have a voice and must choose to be heard.

I am attending college in hopes of increasing my ability to obtain a job of higher pay.

However, I am in support of an increase on the federal minimum wage. Doing what I can as a

college student will contain talking to economics professors, and discussing the issue with my

fellow students to advocate. Many people know that there are others struggling to get by in

todays society. But many do not know what they can do to help. It can be as simple as

peacefully protesting at their place of work.

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In all, increasing the federal minimum wage would benefit many people across this

nation. Advocating for the increase is a must if people want change. Too many people have

struggled to get by on our current minimum wage and change needs to take place.
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Works Cited

Minimum Wage. Minimum Wage. United States Department of Labor,

https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/minimumwage . Accessed November 29, 2016

Pay & Leave. Pay & Leave. United States Office of Personal Management,

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-administration/fact-

sheets/computing-hourly-rates-of-pay-using-the-2087-hour-divisor/ . Accessed

November 29, 2016.

Trugman, Jonathon M. Raising minimum wage would cost a million people their jobs. New

York Post, 14 Nov. 2015, http://nypost.com/2015/11/14/raising-minimum-wage-would-

cost-a-million-people-their-jobs/ . Accessed December 7, 2016.