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Raise Minimum Wage For a Better Life

If minimum wage was 15 dollars I would be able to afford medicine for my diabetes.

Some jobs don’t provide benefits so Type 1 diabetics have to pay 803 or so dollars for medicine.

Simply raising minimum from 7.25 to 10.10 people will be able to comfortably pay rent. Also

citizens won’t have to rely on government assistants.​ The U.S. needs to raise minimum wage

because it would lift people out of poverty, it will reduce income inequality, and it would

help people get off of food stamps.

The first reason why minimum wage needs to be raised is, it would help the economy.

According to Heather Boushey, raising minimum wage will reduce poverty. According to

economic estimates, raising the minimum 10.10 an hour will reduce the poverty rate for non

elderly americans to 15.8% by 2016 from current 17.5% (Boushey 2014). This shows that just a

small increase can help the economy. Boushey states “Raising the minimum wage will have

positive economic effects above and beyond lowering the poverty rate. Economic research points

to the conclusion that a higher minimum wage does not cause greater unemployment, boosts

productivity, and addresses the growing problem of rising income inequality​.”​(Boushey 2014).

This state's that raising the minimum wage would not only benefit getting rid of poverty but also

help with income inequity.

To go along with the first reason raising minimum wage it would help with raising poverty. “

10.10 wage would boost GDP by 22.1 billion (covert 2014)”. This states raising the GDP helps

companies earn money and then supply for the people in need. “Most families that have been
able to keep their head above water in the last 30 years have done so by… they have doubled

down and worked more hours.” This shows people find a way to barely live a normal lifestyle

when they should have to work so hard for a normal life.

Also to go along with the first reason, raising minimum wage will able to allow

workers to get the same paycheck. “C.E.Os on average make 377 times more than the average

workers in their companies.”(writer 2015). This States CEOs of these major companies get all

the money the average workers have to struggle for their families. “it would also to boost the

incomes of those at the 10th percentile by 1,700.”( Konczal 2014). This shows boosting the

income could also help pay of national debt.

The second reason to raise minimum wage is, it would lower the poverty rate. According

to economic estimates, raising the minimum 10.10 an hour will reduce the poverty rate for non

elderly americans to 15.8% by 2016 from current 17.5% (Boushey 2014). This states that for

people you don’t get money from retirement can have a comfortable salary to pay for rent, food

and insurance. Raising the minimum wage will help family breadwinner support their children

(Boushey 2014). This means children will be able to live comfortably. 10.10 an hour could lift

about 4.6 million out of poverty directly (covert 2014). This states that a lot of people are in

poverty and lifting the minimum wage.

To add to the second reason raising the minimum wage, it will allow families to live

stress free. According to the new tribune, most families that have been able to keep their heads

above water in the last 30 years have done so by… they have doubled down and worked more

hours (writer 2015). This means that families have to struggle to satisfy their families because of

lesser pay. Raising the minimum wage will help families. ​Given that low-income workers are
likely to spend a large portion of any extra pay, putting the money back into the economy(covert

2014). This shows that raising minimum wage will allow the the government to get money back.

Also raising minimum wage 10% (say 7.25 to near 8) would reduce the number of people

living in poverty 2.4% (konczal 2014). This add to the fact that barely raising the minimum wage

will lower the poverty rate. Poverty increased by 3.4 percent during the recession, a rate that has

not improved since, but a $10.10 wage would erase more than half of that uptick. Dube’s

findings come from an analysis of 23 years of data on minimum wage increases as well as a

review of previous findings (covert 2014). This shows that the minimum wage hasn’t changed

and poverty has gotten worse and raising minimum wage will make it better.The current federal

minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, and it has stayed at that level for more than four years. That’s

not enough to keep a parent who works for that wage full-time (covert 2014). This means that

parents have to get second or even third jobs to provide for their families.
 This graph shows the minimum wage between age, and sex. The fact the minimum wage

varies on age and sex is wrong. There are men and women from 16 to 24 who have medical

need and families and they can't provide because of the minimum wage.

The third reason why they should raise minimum wage, It would help people get off food

stamps. According to Michael Fletcher the s.n.a.p or food stamps, reaches about one in seven

americans and cost the government $78 billion in 2011 (fletcher 2014). This mean that the

government is losing money because of the minimum wage.​ About 15 percent of the nation’s

workforce would see wages rise under Obama’s plan to raise the minimum wage, adding that the

increase would lift 900,000 people out of poverty (Fletcher 2014). This states that less people

were relying on food stamps because of the minimum wage under Obama’s plan.

Also to go along with the third reason it will allow people to be more independent.“It

turns out that raising the minimum wage helps make people more independent while saving the

government money”(Fletcher 2014). This means that the government can be spending money on

thing like architecture of lower class community.“What is the best way to make people

independent and be able to sustain their standard of living without having to depend on

government support?,”(Fletcher 2014). This states that if the government would lean of the

people it will make them work better.

The second part of the third reason raising the minimum wage will allow more money to

be made. Fast food workers over 100 cities want $15 an hour (johnson 2013). This means there

will be more money in people's pockets to spend on families.​ ​60 percent of the states that raised

the minimum wage during periods of high unemployment saw higher-than-average job growth,
not lower (Herron 2014). This states that the minimum wage raises will benefit jobs not harm

them.

To go against my claim this is why the minimum wage shouldn’t be raised.​ ​Wage hikes

disproportionately hurt marginalized groups with the least experience (writer 2016). This means

job opportunities will be wasted on people with no experience. ​ ​Inner-city students, immigrants,

and other workers on the lower rungs of the economic ladder are deemed most expendable when

employers are forced to reduce job opportunities ( writer 2016). This means more people will

fight for their jobs.

In conclusion raising minimum wage would prevent people from fighting for jobs, losing

homes, and be financially balanced.

Works Cited

Boushey, Heather. “Understanding How Raising the Federal Minimum Wage Affects Income

Inequality and Economic Growth.” ​Equitable Growth,​ 10 Dec. 2015,

equitablegrowth.org/economic-stability/understanding-the-minimum-wage-and-income-i

nequality-and-economic-growth/.

Cooper, David. “The Case for Raising the Minimum Wage.” ​U.S. News & World Report​, U.S.

News & World Report, 10 May 2013,

www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2013/05/10/raising-the-minimum-wage-will-reduce-in

come-inequality.

Covert, Bryce. “Raising The Minimum Wage To $10.10 Could Lift Nearly 5 Million Out

Of Poverty.” ​ThinkProgress​, ThinkProgress, 3 Jan. 2014, 1:50pm,

-poverty-a72164e33c7c/.

Fletcher, Michael A. “Report: Minimum Wage Hike Would Cut Food Stamp Spending by $4.6

Billion a Year.” ​The Washington Post​, WP Company, 5 Mar. 2014,

www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/report-minimum-wage-hike-would-cut-foo

d-stamp-spending-by-46-billion-a-year/2014/03/04/150e4bfa-a3db-11e3-a5fa-55f0c77bf3

9c_story.html?utm_term=.2e04d9c6d371.

Johnson, Dave. “Want to Cut Food Stamp Spending? Raise the Minimum Wage.” ​Campaign For

America's Future​, Alternet, 3 Dec. 2013,

ourfuture.org/20131203/raising-the-minimum-wage-cuts-food-stamp-and-other-governm

ent-spending.

joosting@mlive.com, Jonathan Oosting |. “Report: Minimum Wage Hike Would Help 110,000

Michigan Families Get off Food Stamps.” ​MLive.com​, 7 Mar. 2014,

www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2014/03/report_minimum_wage_hike_would.ht

ml.

Konczal, Mike. “Economists Agree: Raising the Minimum Wage Reduces Poverty.” ​The

Washington Post​, WP Company, 4 Jan. 2014,

www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/01/04/economists-agree-raising-the-mini

mum-wage-reduces-poverty/?utm_term=.c0b03f1dcc17.

Roy Herron, Garrett Jennings and Hannah Oakley. “Raise Minimum Wage and Fight 'Income

Inequality'.” ​The Tennessean​, NAS, 28 June 2014,

uality/11447603/.

“Three Reasons Why a $15 Minimum Wage Is a Bad Idea.” ​Learn Liberty​, Learn Liberty, 14

Jan. 2016,

www.learnliberty.org/blog/three-reasons-why-a-15-minimum-wage-is-a-bad-idea/.

writer, Contributing. “Higher Minimum Wage Will Reduce Income Inequality.” ​Thenewstribune,​

The News Tribune, 28 July 2015,

www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/op-ed/article28660141.html.