The minimum wage in the United States is a topic that has been discussed heavily over the years.

From workers quitting jobs and companies trying to compensate for their losses, there are people
on both sides of the issue.

“Many work hard every day performing services that are essential to our communities and our
society,” said Pramila Jayapal, a US Representative, in an article in July of 2019. “And yet they
earn so little that they still worry about paying their bills.”

For many people across the country, the minimum wage is nowhere near enough to make a
living. With a growing population, there are fewer single-person homes and an increase in family
homes.

In states like Georgia and Utah, where the minimum wage is at a drastic $7.25, workers need to
rely on public safety net programs to make sure they have good health care and food on the table
to eat.

And it’s not just by word of mouth; research shows the same.

According to a study done by the UC Berkeley Labor Center, over half of affected working
families in Georgia are enrolled in at least one safety net program. This is to bridge the gap
between their wages and the cost of supporting a family.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the US, the job economy was quickly impacted. Health
guidelines were released that put workers out of jobs and companies with no other option than to
shut down or try to accommodate the safety measures. This further affected people who were
already making the borderline minimum wage.

As reported by the Economic Policy Institute, in 2020, 80% of job losses were among the lowest
quarter of wage earners.

Because of this, each state has been given an opportunity to increase the minimum wage with a
new bill proposed to the senate; the Raise the Wage Act.

This act proposes to increase the minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $15 per hour by 2025,
and institute automatic raises to keep pace with median wages.

This could have a positive impact on not only the citizens' lives but the economy as well.

According to the Center for American Progress, states with higher and more equitable minimum
wages encourage more job growth.

“Higher minimum wage would put more discretionary dollars in the pockets of millions of
workers,” said J.B. Maverick, a finance writer at Investopedia, in an April 2021 article. “Money
that would then flow to retailers and other businesses.”
A steady increase in the minimum wage in each state has shown to be just that. More citizens are
becoming employed and in turn, have money to not only support their families but to spend
consuming products from various companies which is a benefit to the economy.

By looking at the minimum wage in each state, you are able to see which should consider an
increase and those that are at incredible highs.

With consumer spending driving 70% of the economy, increasing the minimum wage can help
build a more sustainable economy.