How does the government expect people to live on minimum wage?
473630
The government doesn't care. The government is heavily influenced by corporations and businesses who want cheap labor. \n\nI know around here you usually cannot find a job that isn't minimum wage, except a few that will start you out at $6/hour. If that's all the jobs that are available in an area, you'll always be working low wages because you won't have the money to move elsewhere for work. \n\nA lot of single mothers are forbidden by court order to move elsewhere for better jobs because it will interfere with the fathers' precious rights, basically imprisoning her in the ex's environment.
835413
Depends where you live here is the breakdown by state:\n\nFederal Minimum Wage Law Level $5.15 \n\nAlabama No minimum wage. \nAlaska $7.15 Automatically adjusted to remain one dollar over federal minimum wage should that change. \nArizona No minimum wage. Increasing to $6.75 effective January 1, 2007 pursuant to Arizona Proposition 202.\nArkansas $6.25 \nCalifornia $6.75 Increasing to $7.50 on January 1, 2007 and to $8.00 on January 1, 2008. [1] \nSan Francisco $8.82 \nLos Angeles $9.08 With health benefits[2] \n$10.33 Without health benefits[2] \nColorado $5.15 Increasing to $6.85 on January 1, 2007. \nConnecticut $7.40 Increasing to $7.65 on January 1, 2007. \nDelaware $6.15 $6.65 increase in 2007, $7.15 increase in 2008. [3] \nDistrict of Columbia $7.00 Increased on January 1, 2006. \nFlorida $6.67 Rises with inflation. \nGeorgia $5.15 \nHawaii $6.75 Rising to $7.25 effective January 1, 2007 \nIdaho $5.15 \nIllinois $6.50 $6.00 for employees under the age of 18 \nIndiana $5.15 \nIowa $5.15 \nKansas $2.65 For employees over the age of 18 (applies only when the federal Fair Labor Standards Act does not). $5.15 federal minimum wage takes precedence, overriding the state minimum. \nKentucky $5.15 \nLouisiana No minimum wage. \nMaine $6.75 Will rise to $7.00 in October, 2007 \nMaryland $6.15 \nMassachusetts $6.75 ($2.63 for service (tipped) employees, $1.60 for agricultural employees; legislature passed increase to $7.50 starting January 1, 2007 and to $8.00 January 1, 2008)[4] \nMichigan $6.95 Increasing to $7.15 July 1, 2007 and to $7.40 July 1, 2008 \nMinnesota $6.15 \nMississippi No minimum wage. \nMissouri $5.15 Increasing to $6.50 on January 1, 2007. \nMontana $5.15 Increasing to $6.15 on January 1, 2007. \nNebraska $5.15 \nNevada $5.15 Increasing to $6.15 on January 1, 2007. \nNew Hampshire $5.15 \nNew Jersey $7.15 \nNew Mexico $5.15 $9.50 in Santa Fe, as of 2006 \nNew York $6.75 Increasing to $7.15 on January 1, 2007 [1] \nNorth Carolina $5.15 Increasing to $6.15 on January 1, 2007 \nNorth Dakota $5.15 \nOhio $5.15 Increasing to $6.85 on January 1, 2007\nOklahoma $5.15\nOregon $7.50 Adjusting to $7.80 on January, 1st 2007 \nPennsylvania $5.15 (Per act signed into law July 10, 2006, this will increase to $6.25 on January 1, 2007 and to $7.15 on July 1, 2007. For companies with ten or fewer employees: $5.65 by January 1, 2007, $6.65 by July 1, 2007, and $7.15 by July 1, 2008. The current tipped wage, $2.83, will not increase with this Act\nRhode Island $7.10 \nSouth Carolina $5.15 \nSouth Dakota $5.15 \nTennessee No minimum wage. \nTexas $5.15 \nUtah $5.15 \nVermont $7.25 \nVirginia $5.15 \nWashington $7.63 Increasing to $7.93 effective January 1, 2007\nWest Virginia $5.85 Increasing to $6.55 effective 7/1/07 and $7.25 effective 7/1/08 \nWisconsin $6.50 \nWyoming $5.15
134904
You can find out the minimum wage for any area in the United States at the web site listed below.\n\nHope that helps!
710423
Looks like you already answered your question. Sickening isn't it?\n\nGalaxy500: Hey slick, could you please explain for me just how an increase in minimum wage makes people want to stay on welfare?\nThis should be a real hoot.
820828
Because in the long run it will be a net loss to the working class.  Prices will go up way out of proportion to the increase to the ones that are putatively being helped.  Even the McDonald's in my area is already paying well above minimum just to get people to work there.  So why legislate something that is automatically being adjusted by the laws of supply and demand.\n\nThe real problem is the number of people trying to live outside their means.  Having more children than they can afford.  Deciding to buy a house that they can barely afford then not being able to make the payments when their adjustable rate mortgage rate goes up.  Most of the real problems with the American economy isn't on the government side, it's on the side of poor choices made by individuals.
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.
782992
There are misconceptions about the minimum wage.\nLiving wage - Minimum wage was not designed as a living wage and never will be. It is a benchmark for workers entering the system.\nIncreased cost of goods and services - Many people believe incorrectly that you can raise the minimum wage and it will help the poor or lower middle class. This is not true. Raising the minimum wage causes the cost of doing business to increase. Therefore the price of good and services will also increase thereby rendering the surplus gained from the wage increase null and void. Employers are not going to just absorb the added cost and take a hit on their profit margin.\nJob creation - When the cost of doing business goes up less new jobs are created. Employers forced to pay higher costs will require existing employees to do more while hiring less new labor force.\nSmall Business - Small businesses tend to be primary employers in the most devastated areas of society.  Many have small profit margins to begin with and when faced with higher labor costs find themselves unable to remain in business. Further less new small business is created.\n\nCan we absorb an increase in minimum wage? Yes we can. We have done it in the past, but it is frivilous to believe that there will not be consequences for this action and that the people it is designed to help will actually benefit from it. Most workers do not remain at minimum wage. They get raises or gain experience and move into other better paying positions. The simple fact is that if you have a worker who remains at minimum for years at a time, they are either unmotivated to improve their circumstance, or they change jobs often. Take exception to this statement if you will, but it is a fact none the less.
328424
You know, the government doesn't owe everyone a standard of living or any sort of help.  I am sure that help is available if you apply for it, but your sense of entitlement is just sort of "out there", you know?  No one is going to know the situation, go through the proper channels.
308246
same minimum wage as every other job. $6.75\n\nour church doesn't pay. most probably don't pay much or only the minimum.
882627
Well, in a nut shell:\nThe minimum wage will raise in September 07 to 6.85\nEvery year the minimum wage will be raised in accordance with inflation\nThe employer must keep a record of all employee wages for the time of their employment and three years after\nAny employee or someone working on behalf of the employee can obtain these records without charge to them\nSmall business's that have a prophet of less then 250K are not subject to the law...neither are family members or household employees, and servers.\n\n\nIf you have any more questions edit your post, I'll be back and try to answer.
1008727
Every time minimum wage has been raised in the past, the prices of everything else follows.  I'm only 27, and I remember working for $4.25 an hour.  I don't think $7 is enough to live on, but I'm not sure that even raising it to that will do any good.
1007408
People need to understand the government is not really on your side, both Republicans and Democrats. They take you money no matter what you think of the job they are doing. Businesses on the other hand must please you, the customer, or they will go out of existance. Thats why the government needs to stay out of business affairs, the companys will pay workers whatever the job they are doing is really worth. This keeps the cost to us consumers down. If we force businesses to pay people more for the same amount of work, it will force them to fire the low wage employees as well as make their products cost more. So instead of increasing the minimum wage, I believe we should get rid of it completely.
363914
Because it is not our great nation that is paying you! Most businesses cannot afford to pay a minimum wage that high. It would be nice...but, it would put most, small business owners, out of business. The government "Our great nation", taxes the small business owners to death! Big businesses get the tax breaks that the small business owner, does not.
109489
Minimum wage is $5.15 according to federal law and most states, but some states mandate higer and lower minimum wages. The Labor Department has a map comparing all state minimum wages to the federal minimum wage.
187138
they are trying to get minimum wage changed, but it is by state.  a lot of states are trying to raise minimum wage to $6 (right now, in my state, it's $5.15).  your state has to pass the bill before it will go up, though.
1120198
The minimum wage was not necessarily established with the expectation that one would have to make do living on that wage.  There are people who are actually supported by others who are happy to receive 5.25 an hour--namely but not limited to teen agers.  Others might include retired people wanting to add a little income and perhaps others with a full time job wanting to make a little extra.
616664
There are none. If they really need a job and the government will no longer just give them money they will work.