Why can't or don't we have a "minimum wage" that people can actually live on?

Answer 1

Because businesses want the lowest expenses possible. It's not an incentive for people to better themselves. Ethics in business have been on the decline for the past several years. Wal-Mart has proven that people can be paid badly and given few benefits--and those workers will have to apply for federal or state benefits paid for by taxpayers. And most of us pay taxes.

So the next time you applaud when a minimum wage raise is killed--remember that you're making up the difference out of your own pocket.

Answer 2

Christine you may have been mislead by some propaganda.

Do you know the actual estimate of people who "live" on the minimum wage, I mean head of household? It is miniscule.

Now let me clue you in on something you most likely have NEVER heard before, most union contracts are tied to minimum wage. You know those guys that are bankrupting our automobile industry, making $40 and hour for screwing this part to that part. Yes those guys will get a raise if minimum wage goes up and so will almost all other unions.

So the question really is, is there a true need or is it just big money politics and only they win, everyone else loses.

Answer 3

Think of the easiest job you could ever imagine. Something that requires you not to think, accept responsibility, do anything dangerous, repetitious or unpleasant.

You would then have to be paid enough money to live on. Why would you do anything else?

Also, a few other things:
1. The next level up would have to be paid more and so one and so on.
2. Why would you let someone else decide how much money you need to actually live...isn't that different for every person.
3. Lets say that $10 an hour is minimum wage. Wouldn't everyone be able to live better if $12 an hour was minimum? Wouldn't everyone live better if minimum was $50 an hour.

If $50 an hour was minimum then how long would it be before companies passed that increase in labor cost on to the customer. Once they pass it on wouldn't $50 an hour not be enough money to live on...so where does it stop?
Why would we let someone in Washington determine where it stops or how high or low it goes.

Answer 4

In economic terms, a minimum wage is a "price floor" like rent control. It means that IF the price is set above market rates, demand will outstrip supply.

In an extreme case, suppose the government declares the minimum wage to be $15/hour. A lot of people will want to work at that rate. However, a lot of employers would say the cost of hiring a worker is too much. Consequently, the amount of jobs available at the minimum wage would probably go down.

If the minimum wage is too high, a lot of low wage jobs may be eliminated. Compare the unemployment rates in America with countries in Western Europe such as Germany; ours is much lower.

The real question is how high can we raise minumum wage without reducing job growth for low wage jobs. That's something policymakers continue to debate.

Answer 5

Because it isn't necessary. Most people who make minimum wage are teenagers. And if you get even a little education out of high school and have a good work ethic, you don't have to work for minimum wage. All a higher minimum wage does is raise the prices of products for everyone, including the people at the bottom of the pay scale.

Answer 6

Because the real minimum wage is $0 / hr. That's what people without jobs make. The higher you set the minimum wage the more people will be making the real minimum wage, zero.

If the minimum wage was really a good idea then why stop at a wage people could just "live" on. Why not make it $20.00 per hour.

The truth is the minimum wage is snake oil sold by politicians who know that having a minimum wage hurts the people it is supposed to help.

Answer 7

minimum wage is not supposed to be a living wage.
it's a starting point for ... kids in school or retired people just wanting a few extra bucks....if the best you can do is minimum wage there is most likely a problem with your work ethic

Answer 8

Because, as you see here, the American public has been brainwashed by corporate friendly conservatives into believing all this hogwash. There is so much propaganda these days it is difficult to tell truth from half-truths and outright lies.
The last time I checked it takes a minimum of thirteen dollars per hour to feed, house and clothe a family these days. And that amount is only sufficient to scrape by with no frills.
While it is true that most of the minimum wage jobs are supposedly entry level, this infers entry level wage earners do not need food, clothing and housing as much as the teens or retirees they claim are in these positions. There are many people who would love to be able to go to school and better their earning capabilities. In today's colleges and universities, the price of an education is far outstripping the average person's ability to afford them. So, they are stuck in minimum wage jobs without the ability to afford to better themselves because they have to scrape by on minimum wage. In many cases, working people who want to attend a trade school, college or university fall within a dead zone where they make too much to qualify for government aid, but don't make enough to be able to afford to do it on their own
A way to circumvent the hardship a minimum wage would place on smaller employers is to make the minimum mandatory if the employer has a certain number of employees. For instance, if they have over 10 or 20 employees, the higher minimum would apply.
One of my ex-bosses told me once that our employer preferred hiring single mothers. Why? Because they were desperate to take care of their children and would not be so quick to leave the job even though he only paid minimum wage and rarely gave raises. They were less likely to complain, too. They were always one check away from being on the street. This is the case with many famillies these days.
We could go back and forth with related issues ad nauseum. We will have the working poor always. The least we could do is make their wage slavery a little easier to bear.

Answer 9

Good question, however with all the benefits (welfare, wick, unemployment) that are offered its understandable. The minimum wage is designed for "entry level" work, it was never designed for a 35 year old man to support a family of 4. Hope that helps.

Answer 10

If minimum wage was raised, prices would be too. I do think it's a shame that people aren't making what they're worth. The only thing you can do is go to school and shoot as high as you can.