Put An End To Poverty, Increase The Minimum Wage Essay -- Minimum Wage

It is not shocking to hear that tens of millions of Americans be living in poverty. Startling statistics about the poor are ceaselessly being tossed around on television with images of run-down neighborhoods and malnourished children. The documentary surprise, however, is that millions of those in poverty are broad- snip, lower limit absorb earning workers. Many suppose one should feel morally obligated to help these people. President Barack Obama express it best in his February 2013 State of the Union address, Lets reserve that in the wealthiest nation on earth, no one who works full time should have to live in poverty (Lowrey n.p.). When minimal wage was created, President Roosevelt declared its purpose was to maintain a minimum trite of living necessary for health, efficiency, and general well-being, without substantially curtailing employment (Raising the lower limit charter 1). Considering the poverty rate and poor living conditions present today, this vision is no l onger being fulfilled. In order to create a nation with acceptable living conditions, lowered poverty rates and income inequality, and a stalls economy, the minimum wage must be raised to a habitable rate. Opponents of an increase argue that the economy would suffer, but the reality is quite the opposite. sparing conditions could be greatly improved with a rise in minimum wage, and that is exactly why this is an issue much larger than just the running(a) class. Minimum wage affects all classes and has a large effect on the state of the economy. For these reasons, I propose that minimum wage should be increase to a rate that will adequately provide working families with the funds necessary to survive. Minimum wage was first enacted in 1938 to ensure that workers were maintaining a livable wage. This was mandated under the Fair chore Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938, which also do sure that workers were free from exploitation and unsatisfactory workplace conditions. At the time of this legislation, minimum wage was set at $0.25 per hour this equates to approximately $4 in 2013. Congress monitored the economy and, through the 60s and 70s, made increases to keep minimum wage at an appropriate level. Minimum wage reached its highest value in 1968 when it was raised to $1.60, or about $10.50 per hour today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Since then, the wor... ... New Republic 244.17 (2013) 12-14. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Nov. 2014. Lowrey, Annie. Raising Minimum enlist Would Ease Income Gap but Carries Political Risks. The New York Times. 13 Feb. 2013. Web. 4 Dec. 2014. Minimum Wage Workers Characteristics of Those Employed at or to a lower place the Minimum Wage. Congressional Digest 92.5 (2013) 11-32. Academic Search Premier. Web. 7 Nov. 2014.Plumer, Brad. here(predicate)s why 10.4 million American workers are still in poverty. The capital letter Post.12 April. 2013. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. Prince, Lew. Should Congress Increase the Federal Minimum Wage and Index It To Inflation? Congressional Digest 92.5 (2013) 22-26. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2014. Sebelius, Kathleen. Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines. Federal Register. 14 Jan. 2013. Web. 4 Dec. 2014. Sullivan, Sean. snow-covered House official Obama supports Harkin/Miller bid to increase minimum wage. The Washington Post.7 Nov. 2013. Web. 29 Nov. 2014. Warren, John Robert, and Caitlin Hamrock. The Effect of Minimum Wage Rates on High School Completion. Social Forces 88.3 (2010) 1379-1392. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.