Why do we even have a minimum wage?
353767
I´m a free market, capitalism all the way kinf of guy. But what you are saying can only be posible if there were no unemployment what so ever. If there is unemployment, in a very minimized example, 4 workers can be up for 1 spot. Who do you think the company will hire if all of them have the same skills/lack of them? The one who will work for less, of course. So, minimum wage applies mostly for phisical labour, where, even if unskilled, plenty can do the same job the same exact way. Now, Jack has 2 daughters and a wife and Steve is single, if the company offers 4 an hour, Steve can say, give 3, i don´t care! They are going to hire Steve. In the low level works, skills and attitude are pretty much not needed to make the same product as your competitors. skills and attitude might get an individual to get better jobs as time goes on, but in the mean while, it doesn´t matter if you know what 5*7 is or have a smile on while moving piles of dirt form one place to another. \n\nIf you take away minimum wage, you might as well take away every other incentive and rights the work force has. No social security, no goverment interference what so ever. Soon, we´ll have another 1929 al over again! Goverment interference got the US out of the Great Depression... Read some Keynes, he explains thing better!
967833
Unfortunately, many people do not understand economics whatsoever. \n\nPeople who support a minimum wage should have a maximum-earnings cap placed upon them. The earnings could be used as capital so minimum wage earners could get more schooling and develop their own businesses. Pelosi & Kerry & Kennedy are rich enough.\n\nThe minimum wage schtick is just a ploy to get votes from the uneducated. It results in inflation and more jobs going overseas.\nIf it hasn't worked it over the past 40 years, it won't solve the problem now.
1109536
It is total bullshit.\n\nLast year the federal minimum wage at $5.15 per hour was $3.50 below in purchasing power of what it was in 1968. Today's minimum wage has the lowest purchasing power since 1949 when economic productivity per worker was a fraction of what it is today, when the super-rich corporate bosses had not become hyper-rich averaging over $8000 an hour. \n\nThe last increase to $5.15 per hour was in 1997. Except for one year of restraint, members of Congress have zipped their annual pay grab through the House and Senate every year. Just the increases in that period amount to about three times the annual minimum wage income for millions of American laborers. No wonder poverty has been on the increase. \n\nRest assured, neither the Democratic nor the Republican leadership will stop their annual pay raise. The House already has passed their pay grab. Shame is a rare commodity when it comes to the moral authority to govern. \n\nWhy do we let them get away with such Marie Antoinette values?
963297
I cannot tell you how many people who are earning the minimum wage but it is pretty close to the number of people who didn't pay any attention to much in high school.\nWhile that is not completely fair,mostly because it excludes the manual workers still left from the production line jobs which are fast disappearing in the US such as at the auto industry, it does demonstrate a point; you need focus to be able to have a worthwhile future in a civilized country.  Asking others to raise how much you make really doesn't solve the issue.\n\nFor example, when I was 16, I was working at Burger King.  I did that so I had some spending money, especially for dates and the car, should I be lucky enough to borrow it from my father.  When I was there, there were several adults working there full time.  I knew they were making more money than I was and that was ok with me as they worked 40-60 hours to my 15 or so and used it to support themselves.  However, it didn't take a math genius to figure that paying for food, rent and a car with what they earned wasn't going to leave a lot left over.  Hence I was smart enough at 16 to know that even as a manager, it  wasn't where I wanted to be in 10 years.\nNow I confess that after I went to college, I was expecting someone to knock himself over to hire me to do something after I graduated.  When that didn't happen, I had to do a lot of things I really didn't want to do and relearn what I should have already known.  However, in addition, I had enough smarts to know that I had to dig myself out of the hole, not expect someone else to do it for me.  \nIf you need training, go find something you can stand and get trained.  Personally I am tired of all the anti-social attitudes manifested in demanding higher pay for standing in front of a cash register.  Learn how to be nice to people and learn a skill.  It may take a while to finish the training but it will be worth it.\n\nTo answer your question after this long diatribe, for which I apologize, there are way too many people earning minimum wage in the US.  We have fostered the idea that we have the right to a job that will pay us what we want for far too long.
969710
what good does the increase in min wage do?  the cost will be passed on to the consumers which puts the people back in min wage in the same boat.  I agree raises for govt is wrong but the whole Idea of min wage is outdated.  Simple economics shows this is a sick cycle that has to stop.
469806
Your question 'Assumes' there are benefits to the minimum wage. The true effect of the minimum wage is to prevent the employment of anyone with job skills not worth the minimum wage.
835651
You are right; the minimum wage in Kansas is $2.65 an hour. I am almost sure that the federal minimum wage standard applies to Kansas, making it a useless law.\n\nhttp://www.49abcnews.com/news/2006/nov/17/kansas_lawmakers_likely_hear_more_minimum_wage/
791218
Hey everyone who says this person is quoting an incorrect figure, I'm sure if you thought about it, it's reasonable to assume the asker means the adjusted to 2006 dollars minimum wage in 1950 is $6.13.  That means the 80 cent (or whatever it was) minimum wage in 1950 has the same purchasing power as $6.13 in 2006.\n\nIf you have to survive on minimum wage you have big problems.  Most likely you didn't pay attention or do very well in school and you probably didn't graduate.  Either your high school didn't offer or you didn't take advantage of vocational training.  You may be a drug addict or an alcoholic.  Anyone who needs to depend on minimum wage for longer than a year has little motivation.  The government basically guarantees loans to low income persons for vocational school or college.\n\nWhen I say you, I do not mean you I mean the person in question who is relying on minimum wage.\n\nReally there shouldn't be a minimum wage, you should be paid according to your value to the company, we only have a minimum wage because there are a lot of companies who know that lower wage earners are a dime a dozen and they can take advantage of them because they need a job and they'll take anything even if it is less than min wage.\n\nBefore Ohio passed its law raising the wage to $6.85 and linking an annual increase to the Consumer Price Index I purposely looked for jobs that paid minimum wage.  Guess what?  I couldn't find any.  At the motel I run we pay people minimum wage for their first two weeks (just to make sure we have someone who is going to last) then bump them to $6.50.  Most of the other service industry businesses in this area pay similarly
22267
Skilled, experienced workers make high wages because employers compete to hire them. Poorly educated, inexperienced young people can't get work because minimum wage laws make them too expensive to hire as trainees. Repeal of the minimum wage would allow many young, minority and poor people to work. It must be asked, if the minimum wage is such a good idea, why not raise it to $200 an hour? Even the most die-hard minimum wage advocate can see there's something wrong with that proposal. \n\nThe only "fair" or "correct" wage is what an employer and employee voluntarily agree upon. We should repeal minimum wage now.
623997
Asked off the bat abourt minimum wage the average joe would most definitely be in support of rasing the thing out the waaaaaaaazzzzzoooooo. When one really thinks about rasing the minimum wage in each city we realize that not everyone will directly benefit from a raise. For instance, a recent study shows that most individuals that take a minimum wage job move up in pay to a position  that is above both the state and the federal minimum wage within three months. If one was to raise the federal minimum wage I believe that it would cause an overall pay raise, thus having no affect at all because of the raise in living that would quickly follow. Although this hypothisies hasn’t been proven due to a lack of searching skills, I have found that some others will side with me on this belief. \n\nAnother issue that is along the lines of minimum wage,and is just as promonent, is a term called living wage.  Although there isn’t exactly a  set figure on what a living wage is, a general definition for some one living in Vermont  would be that minimum wage is a salary that a single individual or family can live off of with 5% left over for spending. Its clearly a serious issue. Companies see more and more young, unexperienced individuals entering their businesses, and there for it is easier for them to keep their wages a level that is very low.\n\nI believe that it is very important for one to keep in mind the type of work that is under the minimum wage blanket. Typically the individual that is being paid minimum wage is doing all of the difficult jobs. Many of the individuals that work as cashiers for example are often required to stand in one posistion for hours at a time. Although the work isnt as phsycially  demanding as general labor, many workers suffer from a wide variety of physcial aliments.\n\nSo, from the limited amount of information that Im going to bother to provide you with, one becomes rather lazy in 90’ weather, you should be able to make your own decision on where you stand on the minimum wage issue. I for one believe that we should evaluate each situation on an individual basis and go from there. What do you think?  To get back to your question the federal minimum wage is $5.75 and Vermont’s is $ 7.25
486377
You'll probably get minimum wage.
730710
I have mixed feelings.  I have been through a number of minimum wage increases and all I've seen is the price go up and eat up any gains we had, as well as more lay-offs, less benefits and fewer full time positions.  The people at the top control the price and they make sure they get their cut first no matter what.  There is no trickle down anymore.  As it has been figured.....minimum wage still isn't a wage many people can survive on with prices the way they are now.  Whether you are renting or owning, driving your own car or taking a bus.  The essentials alone are taking too much of the wages to get by and still be able to save or meet the expense of an illness or injury.  It is survival wage.  If anything....it should be the pay elected officials are paid and then they might get a different view of the world.  They are looking from the top- down.  Maybe they should get a gander from the bottom-up.\n\nMinimum wage does not apply to a great majority of jobs.  Many people wrongly assume it does.  It does not apply to waitresses and pizza delivery jobs and some agriculture and even some businesses that do piece work.  It's supposed to average minimum wage but it in reality it doesn't.  Big business has discovered ways to even get around that.  Like a waitress.  They are sometimes paid a small wage and then the tips are supposed to make it up to the average of minimum wage.  For some...it's just tips only.  It is not based on the actual tips received but what you are supposed to get.  Unfortunatly people aren't forced to tip and many don't tip what the "proper" percent is supposed to be.  Then they started making it where the bus-boy and sometimes even the bartender get to take a share of the supposed tip while receiving less than minimum wage. So the waitress pays them up and gets whats left.  But taxed on it whether it's actually received or not.  Depending on where you live, the type of restaurant and clientel....you are surviving or can do pretty well.  People assume the delivery fee for pizza delivery is going to the driver and they don't tip.  Wrong.  Depends on the company.  Some pocket that and the driver is working for tips only, no gas reimbursement and usually has to do the dishes for free.\n\nThey need to start looking at the top as well ,before anything will be close to fair and a liveable wage.  As long as there's no accountability to the top dog, they will find a way around minimum wage if it was 100 an hour.  Sounds good, but not if it gets you no-where.
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.)
1037514
what state?  minimum wage is different in every state.
595365
Working for less than minimum wage.
1162158
Just like everywhere else Little above minimum wage
726894
minimum wage, and the impact of changing it.....