what are the pros and cons to increasing minimum wage?
102406
Pro: None.\nCon: Many companies will opt to cut jobs, as they cannot afford to pay the increased wages.  Those that cannot cut the jobs, will need to raise their prices to offset the additional expenses, or cut money from other programs (R&D, advertising).  This rise in prices, will only offset the raise in minimum wage.  However, most companies will only raise the minimum wage, not other salaries (they aren't going to raise your salary to counter the prices).  Therefore, the purchasing power for everyone else will decrease, making the dollar worth less to them.  And there you have infliation.
997650
Definitely.  the current minimum wage pays a worker around $200 for a 40-hour week.  Unless you're eating dog food, you can't live on that little money.  And there are millions of Americans who do their best.\n\nBut Congress doesn't care about poor people, so they refuse to allow them to earn a wage they can actually live on.  It's disgusting, the way the government craps on the very people who need their help the most.
770735
Some people don't have the opportunity to get better jobs. For those stuck in a job paying minimum wage and trying to survive, a pay increase makes living bareable instead of almost impossible.\n\nAlso, for those saying a minimum wage increase is a wash for those effected are not looking at the whole picture. It might be a wash for the economy as whole because prices will go up to compensate, but those making minimum wage will NOT feel the effects of that as much as middle and upper class. Those making minimum wage would definitely benefit from minimum wage increase.
135152
This is a hard question to answer. As the minimum wage increases so also does the cost of living. Those people paying minimum wages often raise the cost of the product to compensate for the increase of the cost of manufaturing it. After all they are in business to make money. I think we should look at better ways to decrease the cost of living for those that need it such as no tax on food, keeping the cost of gas lower, better and cheaper medical. These would actually increase the persons potential to survive in a heathier state and not have to work 2 or three jobs to make ends meet.
826124
Case in point MN raised minimum wage to 6.15 an hour (with soc, and medicare and other taxes that is 7.08 an hour.  I had 104 employees of which 68 were minimum wage wait staff.  Their take home pay was about $150 a night in tips plus the $30 in wages for a total of $46,800 a year on average.  The 20% increase in the minimum wage cost all 104 employees their jobs.\n\n(note: this was a upscale restaurant and bar.  Two weeks before they passed the mim wage the Democratic also passed a smoking ban for the city, my daily bar business drove or walked five blocks away across city lines to be able to drink and smoke.\nIn addition my clientele was not minimum wage earners so the wage increase did not effect them.)
1109800
The reason intelligent people are against the raising of minimum wage(or min wage all together), is because when you raise the minimum hiring wage you force the business owners to take the blow to their profits, which they are not going to do.  \nYou not only have to pay the basic unskilled worker coming in the door more per hour but by nature all skilled workers are going to want a raise by equal increments.  \nNot to mention the  price of ever day good will go up.  Your hamburger at McDonald's will be $10(exaggerated a little)\nThis is a political trick usually by Democrats to "buy" votes from the poor and uninformed.  It sound good to raise wages, but it doesn't work.  The free market should decide what a good wage for a good job is.
305728
Congress is currently considering raising the minimum wage by $1.50, from $5.15 to $6.65 per hour in three installments. Congress last enacted legislation in 1996, increasing the minimum wage by 90 cents from 1996-1997.
490542
Would everyone like to earn more money?  Sure thing, from that standpoint it sounds great.\n\nBut the problem is this, when you raise the minimum wage, prices will go up in the market, reducing the effect of the wage increase.  Job availibily will go down, because the USA will become less competitive on the international market from a price standpoint.  The same people who received the "raise" will have the highest potential to lose their job.\n\nIf you look at the minimum wage as what you're going to earn, then you need to wake up, start learning some new things, find a new way to earn, find a better job, do something different.\n\nIf you're living in the USA and making minimum wage, it's your choice, opportunity is available, you just have to pursue it everyday!!
960022
Everyone making minimum wage will get a pay increase.  Some companies may compensate those who are making above minimum wage, but it's really, really rare.\n\n(When I was working in St. Charles, I was making $5.50/hr.  When the minimum wage increased to $5.15, my supervisor said that I wasn't making too much.  But my co-worker was originally making $5.18, but complained and threaten to quit.  So the supervisor gave him a $0.30 pay raise.)
768701
Definitely raise in minimum wage.\nDon't ask for an explanation because that is self-evident .
452667
There's really no such thing (unless you are talking about the federal minimum wage, which is, I believe, $5.15/hour).  The market determines the wages, which can fluctuate widely depending upon specialization, employer, and area of the country.
608962
I think she did this to make a point that members of Congress have no problem voting themselves pay raises, but will scream that the economy will collapse if minimum wage is increased. \n\nThe better idea is to raise minimum wage with the cost of living so it does not erode further and stays in step with the economy.
698925
This is a difficult question... \nFirst min. Wage was enacted to be a living wage which it was at first. If it had kept up with inflation it would be well over $12 an hour( I did an upper level paper on this and I have a degree in Labor studies) The problem is while the cost of labor has really only risen a small percentage the cost of the same goods that could be obtained with that salary is now out of reach. so min wage needs to be raised.    Min. Wage is supposed to be a living wage and can be raised by individual states the Federal government just sets a rock bottom minimum.\n$5-6 dollar an hour jobs cannot support an economy.... It is kind of a snow ball effect.. .\nThe problem is people skilled or unskilled are fighting over any jobs that pay a living wage... There should be  a salary gap for skilled workers but our economy is leaning the other direction.
284033
That is the point of raising the minimum wage.  It goes up when the price of living goes up.  Doesn't life suck! lol
330801
Do people buying things help the economy?\nDo companies do well when their products/services are purchased?\nDo people spend money?\nRaise the salaries and people will spend. They can't spend what they don't have. If the minimum wage was raised enough the economy would boom.
1018850
Unfortunately there is no way to really fix this problem. If you increase the minimum wage, the prices of everything else would go up. It will most likely cause more out sourcing of good jobs, and leave the people who are making minimum wage in worse shape than they already are.  Minimum wage is really not intended for somebody to be able to live and support a family off of. \nIn a capitalistic society, there will always be rich people and poor people, there is no way around that. \nThere is a form of government that regulates every body's wages, provides everything for its citizens, and treats everybody equally. It is called communism. Ask anybody from the former Soviet Union or Cuba how that works out.
943901
about $5 per hour..  \nlets face it..  there are jobs out there that aren't worth more than that.\nthese high minimums are going to hurt a lot of small businesses.