Raising the Minnesota minimum wage is necessary for survival
Graphic by Emily Lodahl
January 23, 2014
Currently Minnesota’s minimum wage is $7.25 an hour. Many people argue that a family cannot survive off of minimum wage, it would be difficult for a family to survive in today’s society on the income of $7.25 an hour.
According to an article by Jason Notte, “Even a worker with no children living in Hanson [County, South Dakota] would need to take it $10.20 an hour to be economically stable.”
The House of Representatives bill suggests a raise in minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $9.50 an hour however the Senate is proposing a much smaller increase to $7.75 an hour.
As a minimum wage worker could easily say that it would be great to see a change from $7.25 an hour to $9.50 an hour, but something that must be considered is inflation. Some argue that if workers are paid more than what is to stop typical pricing to go up just as much as minimum wage.
However one reason that minimum wage must be raised is because of inflation. If prices grow and hourly minimum wage does not the United States of America will be a nation of poverty.
According to an article by Tami Luhby, “Were the rate to raise to $9 [an hour], a full-time minimum wage worker would earn roughly $18,000 a year, which is still below the poverty level for a family of four.”
An article by Eunice Lee and Mike Frassinelli described life for a minimum wage worker in New Jersey, “Living on minimum wage in New Jersey can mean choosing between eating and paying bills, still living with your parents when you are in your 30s or begging the landlord to delay the rent.”
Those do not sound like happy and fulfilling living situations. No person working full-time, minimum wage or not, should live in poverty and minimum wage should support those receiving it.
Not only are many minimum wage workers hardly being paid enough to survive, but many do not get benefits from their workplace. This adds more expenses to the ones that they are already responsible for.
It is possible that raising minimum wage would cause some problems, but the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Those effected most, minimum wage workers, would benefit greatly from the increase, they would have a better standard of living.
Minimum wage must be raised in order to keep this nation out of poverty. Even for those making minimum wage there must be a higher standard of living.
Anna Kaul • Feb 19, 2014 at 2:36 am
I am on the same side as you are with minimum wage, so I was drawn to this article for that reason. It is true that people cannot live on minimum wage, and that is a very important point to bring up. Also, the poverty level should be raised because as of now, it is nowhere near the actual cost of living. You bring up a good point with inflation, but it is somewhat difficult to take such a simplistic view of that subject. Overall though, you bring up some good points. Well done!