Earning minimum wage is alright for teens working their first job, but is it okay for adults who work full time to earn such a low amount? As of now the federal minimum wage is set at $7.25 per hour. Some people have to live off of making such a low amount of money. In states like California, they have set a “Fair Wage Act Initiative” which is trying to make the minimum wage in California $15 by 2021. As of now California’s minimum wage is set at $10 per hour but that is still not a lot of earnings. In Michigan the minimum wage is $8.50 an hour.
As minimum wage increases more people can provide more for themselves and their families. Finding themselves a new place to live, buying a car, or even being able to put food on the table are all great things that come with raising the minimum wage. Many people say that raising the minimum wage will only benefit teens, but this is not true. 89% of those who would benefit from a federal minimum wage raise would be 20 years old or older.
People who have jobs that don’t pay minimum wage most likely had one when they were younger. Working as a waiter, waitress, or a cashier are some jobs that pay minimum wage. Someone that is no longer getting paid minimum wage is Scotty, som
eone that is no longer getting paid minimum wage said that his life would be different
if he still earned minimum wage, “I’m planning to move soon. If I had continued to make minimum wage I’d have at least $1,000 difference in savings.” When Mr.Farhat was younger he was paid minimum wage,“If I was still being paid so low I wouldn’t be able to support my family.”
President Barack Obama has made it clear that he wants to increase the minimum wage. President Obama signed an Executive Order to raise the hourly minimum wage to $10.10 for workers on new Federal contracts. “Raising the minimum wage will increase earnings for millions of families, boost the bottom line for businesses across our country, and reaffirm the principle that in America, nobody working full time should live in poverty.” said President Obama.
Minimum wage is a controversial topic, but when it comes down to it, being able to support yourself, and in some cases a family. It comes with questions like what is going to be in jeopardy? The urgency of raising minimum wage is extremely crucial for the American population. To have the thought of poverty on the mind of a striving individual is something we should try to avoid at all costs. Raising the minimum wage is something that needs to be done as quick as possible.
Leila Farhat
Middle School Journalist
In my opinion I think that minimum wage can’t support a living. I think that it is just too low and I think only teenagers should only get paid minimum wage because they don’t support families usually
Shahab Alriyashi 7th hour
I agree with Obama beacuse I think that the minimum wage in Michigan should go up to $15 per hour. I think that because in poor areas people need the money to support their families. Rasing the minimum wage will help people raise their families, pay bills and more. In Michigan their is lots of poor cities and lots of immigrants that need money to support themselves.
Mustafa Alrayyashi 3RD HOUR
I 100% agree with Former President Obama because getting paid $7.25 is a unbearable amount of money to get paid. What happens to worker that has children and are only getting paid $7.25? They wont be able to put food on the table, they wont be able to support themselves or their families. i believe that the U.S. should do what California did and start a plan to raise the wage of workers up. Some workers work so hard to keep there store in business and they dont even get paid enough to care but they still do and that’s why i believe that minimum wage is not enough money for workers to live and to support there family and i dont think that it will ever be.
The minimum wage should go to $15 per hour. Many families and teenagers need money to support their families. There are more teenagers than parents that have children. I agree that raising the amount of money is something that needs to be done as quick as possible.
Ilham Bezzi 3rd hour
Very good writing. And for which side I’m on I think that minimum should increase. I personally think that minimum wage should go up at least 10$ an hour (18$ an hour). 18$ may seem too high for minimum wage but if you think about it’s not. For example you could be a high school student or an adult and just couldn’t get a scholarship for free. That $10 extra will help them a lot. Another reason is for people that aren’t as wealthy as others. For example if a mother and/or father are working so hard and have kids and work at minimum wage that’s no enough but if the minimum wage just goes up 10$ they could buy there kids extra toys, pay taxes or bills without getting in debt, or even just save that money up.
Shahab Alriyashi 7th hour
I agree with Obama because I think that minimum wage is to low for people all around the U.S. and it should be risen to $15 in Michigan.I believe that because imagine having a family and you are being paid minimum wage. How will you support you family? It is very hard to have a child and have to pay rent and bills with that amount of money being made. In Michigan there a a lot of poor people living in poverty in mainly Detroit, but there are people living in poverty everywhere because they still can’t make enough money to rent out a place to live.
I think that the minimum wage should be hired because most people that work in fast food restaurants are not teenagers and the minimum wage is not enough for a living. Nasser Ahmed 1st hour