Finally a president that does something to help those that can barely feed themselves. The USA has had a minimum wage of 7.25 for sooo long. If you work 40 hours a week that is a grand total of $290 before taxes. Please tell me how anyone thinks they could live off that.
Inflation
It $15 minimum for Federal employees.
Its a mix.
The country has some areas that have a very low cost of living. You might be shocked.
It also might not be intended for the min wage to equal a living wage. Its a starting point, something for a first job in HS. It will hit many small business very hard. There is the potential for much higher unemployment numbers.
I'm not taking a strong stance here, just pointing a few things out.
Depends on where a person lives and what stage of life that person is in. The cost of living in rural Arkansas is far lower than the cost of living in urban California, which is why minimum wage laws are best left to states and cities to determine, not the Federal government. This minimum wage executive order will likely move a number of low wage jobs to other countries, cause fast food joints to increase prices, others to fail, etc.. There are still many places in this country where you can buy a small home for under $50,000. A person is not meant to work at a minimum wage job for their life or support a family on one. It is a stepping stone in learning about business and an impetus to gain an education and a better paying job later on. This will simply push prices higher and penalize a number of small businesses that are already suffering due to COVID lockdowns.
In summary, Biden has simultaneously signed executive orders that will decrease demand for workers and increased the supply of unemployed workers (via his friendly immigration orders). It is a double whammy for those who are already unemployed due to COVID restrictions that he is looking to tighten.
what if they just decreased income tax instead of increasing minimum wage? Then companies wouldn't have to raise prices to make up for losses due to increased employee costs.
This is such a terrible argument. Minimum wage jobs do not exist as stepping stones or learning experiences. These jobs exist because businesses have a need for workers and want to pay the bare minimum to maximize their profits. There is nothing altruistic about it.
Additionally, in what fantasy land do you live if you think that its only HS students working these jobs? Real people with real bills who work 40 hours a week deserve to be able to survive.
Speed over 60 wrote:
It $15 minimum for Federal employees.
No, it is a $15 minimum imposed on federal contractors.
We are just knocking another rung off the job ladder. Entry-level jobs for low-skilled individuals should pay what the market dictates. Develop skills that make you more valuable and earn more. This will only expand the welfare state. Oh, but compassion......
Comeon wrote:
This is such a terrible argument. Minimum wage jobs do not exist as stepping stones or learning experiences. These jobs exist because businesses have a need for workers and want to pay the bare minimum to maximize their profits. There is nothing altruistic about it.
Additionally, in what fantasy land do you live if you think that its only HS students working these jobs? Real people with real bills who work 40 hours a week deserve to be able to survive.
Who are you to decide who deserves what? You are free to give your money to them at any point to help supplement them. You won't though.
Comeon wrote:
This is such a terrible argument. Minimum wage jobs do not exist as stepping stones or learning experiences. These jobs exist because businesses have a need for workers and want to pay the bare minimum to maximize their profits. There is nothing altruistic about it.
Additionally, in what fantasy land do you live if you think that its only HS students working these jobs? Real people with real bills who work 40 hours a week deserve to be able to survive.
Wages should be commiserate with things like skills needed, education (high school, college, trade school, apprenticeship, etc.) and experience. Minimum wage jobs do not require any of those things. If someone wants to earn more money then they need to better themselves through getting more education or skills.
Certain jobs don't warrant more pay just because workers need more money. Working at a fast food restaurant and almost all other minimum wage jobs don't take special skills or education. However, even in those jobs there are opportunities for people to advance into management or higher paid roles if they truly want to. Minimum wage jobs have always been intended to be entry level jobs. They have never been provide wages to live off of.
How well do you think it go over if you went and asked your boss for a raise just because you need more money? The boss would laugh you out of the office.
No one deserves anything. Life’s not fair. Tough sh*t. If you want to get a better paying job you can go to community college, work hard, go to a university and get a better job. Someone who works at McDonald’s microwaving a garbage burger doesn’t deserve $15 an hour for that.
What federal contractors are currently making less than $15/hr?
People can't read.....
The order is a step toward raising the min wage for FEDERAL CONTRACTORS to $15......
Nothing has been raised yet
Alan
Primo Numero Uno wrote:
[quote]Speed over 60 wrote:
It $15 minimum for Federal employees.
Entry-level jobs for low-skilled individuals should pay what the market dictates.
Who is this Mr. Market you speak of?
realwages wrote:
Finally a president that does something to help those that can barely feed themselves. The USA has had a minimum wage of 7.25 for sooo long. If you work 40 hours a week that is a grand total of $290 before taxes. Please tell me how anyone thinks they could live off that.
First, many states have raised that well above 7.25.
Second, at any given time few are making minimum wage. Most after a few months get increases or with some work experience move to a higher paying job.
Third, few are heads of households.
Fourth, if you add in government benefits some low income earners receive their "compensation" goes up from there.
https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage/2017/home.htm#:~:text=In%202017%2C%2080.4%20million%20workers,wage%20of%20%247.25%20per%20hour.
Comeon wrote:
This is such a terrible argument. Minimum wage jobs do not exist as stepping stones or learning experiences. These jobs exist because businesses have a need for workers and want to pay the bare minimum to maximize their profits.
You are correct about the business motivations. So, with higher minimum wage, what will someone who “wants to pay the bare minimum to maximize profits” do? Hire half as many people and expect them to work twice as hard.
So this move benefits the standard of living for low wage earners who are fortunate enough to have or keep jobs, while doubling the number of and financially decimating those who are not.
PaperAthletes wrote:
No one deserves anything. Life’s not fair. Tough sh*t. If you want to get a better paying job you can go to community college, work hard, go to a university and get a better job. Someone who works at McDonald’s microwaving a garbage burger doesn’t deserve $15 an hour for that.
And yet in many places fast food workers make more than the local minimum wage. In Ohio I saw a sign for McD's workers starting at over $10 per hour. (OH min wage just went to 8.80). The reason is likely they could not get the quality of worker they wanted at the minimum wage and/or they are competing with other businesses for labor so wages have to increase.
Retail (and I think fast food fits well into that category) has really poor productivity from its workers so raising wages is tough. Not sure you sell more burgers or towels at Kohl's if you are paying people $15/hr. (What you likely get are fewer workers).
Speed over 60 wrote:
It $15 minimum for Federal employees.
It should be noted that it was just over $10/hr. Obama raised it. (I don't think Trump rescinded it either).
realwages wrote:
Finally a president that does something to help those that can barely feed themselves. The USA has had a minimum wage of 7.25 for sooo long. If you work 40 hours a week that is a grand total of $290 before taxes. Please tell me how anyone thinks they could live off that.
Remember working in the US in 1998 as a substitute teacher and the rate of pay was $6.25 and hour and a fantastic $43 a day. 22 years later the pay rate is $10.35. They really respect education in Hampton VA.
Pay rate for substitute in my current city is $375 a day or $50 an hour and we can't find enough teachers to fill these roles.
https://www.indeed.com/career/substitute-teacher/salaries/Hampton--VAComeon wrote:
This is such a terrible argument. Minimum wage jobs do not exist as stepping stones or learning experiences. These jobs exist because businesses have a need for workers and want to pay the bare minimum to maximize their profits. There is nothing altruistic about it.
Additionally, in what fantasy land do you live if you think that its only HS students working these jobs? Real people with real bills who work 40 hours a week deserve to be able to survive.
Companies are not charities or an extension of the welfare state and people are not paid what they "deserve" (who decides what people "deserve" and how?), they are paid by what workers and companies agree upon. Wages are negotiated by the workers and firms, and only through negotiation are wages decided. Minimum wage jobs are valued at the minimum is because they require next to no skill, thus there is a high supply of workers able to fill those positions. If the worker felt they were not paid enough and could get more elsewhere, they could choose to negotiate their wage or go somewhere else. However, low skill jobs will be easily filled so the worker has almost no negotiating power - thus the job will stay at that wage until the company can no longer fill the position at minimum wage.
Glad I could clear things up for you.