Minimum Wage Works for High School Students-But What About Everyone Else?

This article is written in response to Case for Raising Minimum Wage-Why We Cannot Survive on $6.15. I can remember how thrilled I was about accepting my very first job. I started making a wage of $5.15. I worked at this job for two and a half years and after a year and a half I got a whopping raise of $.25 an hour so that I was raking in $5.40 an hour. The year was 1999 and I continued working at that job approximately 20 hours a week all throughout high school. I worked hard. I took my job seriously and was thankful for it. The job allowed me to buy a car, pay for gas and insurance, buy clothing, and any other expenses that I had during high school. The job was great for a high school student and I was able to meet my expenses and even save a little (a very small little) to help out with college tuition which was just around the corner.

I tried not to complain about the low wages I was receiving. I figured it was fine for now and that I would go to college and end up with a better job and I wouldn't need to worry about the pennies I was making. There was one problem though. Many of my coworkers were not high school students.

Several were single moms trying to raise their son or daughter. There were also wives and moms who were working to help boost the family income. I knew they were poor and that they were making the same amount that I was. The only difference was, their paycheck was their means of survival. My paycheck was my means of things I needed while I was in high school. No rent, no health insurance, virtually no bills to pay. For me, the job was a great way to learn responsibility and begin to take care of myself, as well as take the stress off of my parents for providing for my every financial need. For my co-workers, the job was how they survived. After awhile, it just didn't seem fair. Please know that I am not proposing that high school students get paid less than adults for doing the same amount of work, equal work equal pay is only fair in this day and age. I am suggesting however, that local businesses and employers consider the wages they are paying.

Is it really enough for a single mom to survive? The answer is most likely not. Life is expensive and 6.15 an hour does not last for very long. For example, if someone works 38 hours a week (most minimum wage jobs do not allow employees to be hired full time for insurance reasons) this person will make an average of 233.70 a week, 934.80 a month before taxes.
Typically, rent is at least $400 a month, which leaves about $534.00. Fuel and car insurance will most likely be about $150.00, and groceries for one are probably about $100.00. The total remaining funds are $284.00. Not bad if you are single. It is enough to live off of and hopefully save a little here and there. But what about additional expenses, or what if you have children? That $284.00 will quickly disappear in things like medicine, doctor bills, insurance, extra groceries, and any additional expenses or bills.

The author of this article was only able to work 30 hours a week at a wage of $7.15. Yes, this is enough to survive, but there is a problem in this country where additional expenses end up surmounting typical citizens and they end up being unable to pay their bills. If workers were paid a slightly higher wage, they may be able to support their families. Employers may not profit as much, but it is their responsibility to take care of their employees as well.

A higher minimum wage is a common debate, and obviously the wage has increased at least one dollar over the past 5 years. The squeaky wheel does tend to get the oil. Why not increase minimum wage? Who would be hurt by it? Perhaps companies would not make as much overall profit because of the workers wages, but an employer should provide for the employee.

Lastly, it is understandable that some places of employment offer such low wages because of the types of employees they get. For example, some of the fast food franchises tend to employ high school students who are only around for a short time and they don't necessarily need higher wages or raises. However, an employer would benefit from offering higher wages in a consistent manner. For instance, an initial raise after 3 months, then 6 months, and then each year would encourage employees to stick with the job they have and actually have something to look forward to.