Minimum Wage Increases
Washington Politicans Approve the First Increase in 10 Years
The increase should take effect before the end of summer, given that President Bush does as expected and signs the bill quickly. The increase equals out to be an additional 70 cents an hour to workers that are currently making $5.10 per hour. These workers would then see another 70 cents by next summer. Estimates are by the year 2009 minimum wage workers will make no less then $7.25 per hour.
Minimum wage was first put into effect in 1938. The new minimum wage guidelines were added into a bill that was in the process of being pushed through Congress and the Senate dealing with a pullout date for troops in Iraq that also involved $120 billion Iraq spending bill.
According to the Associated Press many Congressmen/women and the Senate floor were very happy with this progress. The Associated Press quotes Senator Edward Kennedy as saying "the proudest achievements of this new Congress." Senator Kennedy went onto say "...Democrats stood together, and stood firm, to say that no one who works hard for a living should have to live in poverty."
The last increase to minimum wage was back in September of 1997 when the wages went from $4.75 per hour to $5.15 per hour. In estimates that the Associated Press acquired from the Economic Policy Institute, there are about 5.6 million workers or 4% of the working American people are making less then $7.25 per hour.
"This is a great day for America's middle class, America's workers have been waiting for a raise for a long time."
The quote the Associated Press uses from Representative George Miller sums it up best
Published by WriteOnMom
Write On Mom is a mother, wife, and writer living in the mountains of North Carolina with her family. View profile
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20 Comments
Post a CommentThe rich snots that have never had to work for anything, or had to work for minimum wage at that. Some people aren't lucky enough to live off of trust funds or have an inheritance to live off of. Telling someone that they know nothing when obviously your the one Ms. Rebecca that knows nothing.
I completely love when I get the half wit "you no nothing" comments, it gives me fire to keep writing. Assuming that I know nothing is exactly where some are ever so wrong. Belittling people to make ones self come off more educated, must make for some very exuberant folks in this world.
Maybe that's why so many choose to cut others down because of their opinions and beliefs, it makes them feel better and more privileged in some way or another.
If people know nothing about economics, they shouldn't write about it. Minimum wage is a horrible thing; if it goes up, sure, some people might make a few extra bucks each week, but does an increase in minimum wage mean that businesses are somehow given magical money to pay their employees? No, businesses still have the same budget as before. So if something costs more, one must use less to get the same cost. Businesses' budgets remain the same and minimum wage goes up, so businesses will just pay for fewer hours. This may mean that some businesses will simply cut hours, while most will just fire people. Those people will not be able to get jobs elsewhere because every business is going through the same thing. So when minimum wage goes up, so does unemployment, and I think anybody would rather be making less rather than making nothing at all. Next time, you should publish about something you know about, rather than speculating on a subject in which you have no experience.
So Minimum wage really should be what about $12 bucks an hr....??
I thought the minimum wage already did go up? here in NY (upstate) people aren't supposed to be paid less than $7.25.... and I haven't seen that help anybody get out of poverty. But this economy needs poverty, so we really can't trust that any politician will ever want to end it.
boy, we Californians sure are lucky. It's been that high here for a long time
Good news for the workers, but still a tough time for those who are unemployed. I posted an article this month to help people who are still struggling to find a job deal with how procrastination, a form of depression, can get in the way and ways to avoid it. Thanks for the info.
i believe minimum wage is a little higher here in NYC.it is different in different states.
I do feel bad for those already making this much, as most employers won't adjust them to a rate comparable to what they were making above minimum wage. I had this happen to me 10 years ago and it still makes me mad.
I sure hope it helps people. It's about time. Great article.