Minimum Wage Too Low

I found that many people believe that the minimum wage is too low in the U.S. From the time of its implementation in 1933, the minimum wage has been at the center of some heated political and social debates. Some people believe that the minimum wage hurts free economy and should be curtailed. Others believe that the minimum wage helps to establish a fair working wage for many people.

The minimum wage, however helpful or opposed, is still not a working wage. IN fact, even if a person is making the minimum wage, he or she is still at the poverty level, according to the federal guidelines. As such, most believe that the minimum wage is too low. In fact, the minimum wage has fallen by 29% since 1979 – a figure that is too much, according to many people.

The minimum wage is set at $5.15 per hour. Each state has the jurisdiction to se their own minimum wages lower or higher, depending on the way the public votes. Within those states, each county may choose to set a higher minimum wage than the state wage. Currently there are about 1/3 of the U.S. states on a system of a higher minimum wage that the federal minimum wage.

The minimum wage in Santa Fe is one of the only known cases where the minimum wage is high – in fact, in Santa Fe, the minimum wage is considered to be a living wage. A living wage is an amount that is set so that people who make the minimum wage (or living wage) can still afford to be above the poverty line. In many other parts of the country, the minimum wage is too low for people to support a family, so they have to take on multiple jobs simply to make ends meet.