Why The Minimum Wage Should Be Raised

“The minimum wage is one of the most thoroughly researched issues in economics” (“The Case for a Higher Minimum Wage”). As this New York Times quote says, minimum wage is one of the biggest issues in economics today. There are so many reasons why we should and should not raise it that we still have not come to a resolution for the issue. I believe the minimum wage should be raised because of some obvious reasons. One of the reasons why it should be raised is because the minimum wage has not been increased since 2009 (Lu). Since the economy has been growing greatly and there many more jobs, shouldn’t the minimum wage grow too? Another reason why minimum wage should be raised is because no one can live off of it. The minimum wage is sometimes …show more content…
The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 for the past eight to nine years. (Lu) The economy has grown so much since then so why shouldn’t the minimum wage grow to? Now seems like the perfect time to raise it because the United States does have an extremely good economy and there are so many more jobs out there. People may think that raising the minimum wage would hurt employment but research shows that is does not. “The weight of the evidence shows that increases in the minimum wage have lifted pay without hurting employment, [...]” (“The Case for a Higher Minimum Wage”). This means that raising the minimum wage should be fine and it will help the people and make them happier to work.
The second reason why I believe the minimum wage should be raised is because it gives citizens who are living off of it a better and more stable life. “Proponents suggest that raising the minimum wage will increase productivity, reduce income equality, and ultimately lead to less crime” ("Minimum Wage"). If people are against this then why don’t they try living off a minimum wage themselves? If raising it does not hurt the economy-and if nothing else, help it-and it makes the people happy and helps them live a better life, then why not raise it …show more content…
Some of the reasons why it should be raised is because it has not been raised in many years, people are not able to live off of it, and it will actually help the economy (Lu).

Works Cited
Lu, Chris. “Why It's the Perfect Time to Raise the Federal Minimum Wage.” Time, Time, 24 July 2017, www.time.com/4870916/congress-federal-minimum-wage/.
“Minimum Wage." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2018. Opposing Viewpoints In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/PC3010999333/OVIC?u=lom_southchs&sid=OVIC&xid=f5ed7e50. Accessed 22 Apr. 2018. Originally published in Jan. 2015.
“Opinion | The Case for a Higher Minimum Wage.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Jan. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2014/02/09/opinion/sunday/the-case-for-a-higher-minimum-wage.html.
"The Minimum Wage Helps Small Businesses." The Minimum Wage, edited by Noah Berlatsky, Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010805214/OVIC?u=lom_southchs&sid=OVIC&xid=658228f8. Accessed 22 Apr. 2018. Originally published as "Business Owners Welcome Minimum Wage Increase," www.businessforafairminimumwage.org, 21 July

Show More