I have worked ever since I was 17 years old. At that time, I did not care how much I was making because I only worked to buy what I wanted. My parents still paid for the things I needed. This attitude followed me through my first couple of years in college. It wasn't until I dropped out of college that I actually paid attention to my pay stubs. I worked many jobs and barely survived. Wow, how does the family of 4 with BOTH parents working get by? Honestly, if you do not have a college degree (sometimes even if you do) the best job you can find pays minimum wage. This is super sad, considering how much money we pay in taxes. Why can't the minimum wage go up? I am back in school and have a very different view on my own worth and time.
I know that I am over qualified to be working for a job that at about around minimum wage. I'm sorry, it's nothing to brag about if you say you pay over minimum wage and it's still under 6 bucks. Sorry, that's just the sarcasm coming out of me! I had to giggle when I found out how much I will be making at my new job. I wanted to ask the person if she was joking but thought that wouldn't be a good first impression. Many people are forced to take such low paying jobs because they have no other choice. Hopefully, in a few years I will not have to struggle with the small wages that we have to work with.
This prompted me to go online and research just how much minimum wage is across America. I live in WV and the cost of living is extremely low compared to New York or California, but still I am amazed at how little we get for our hard work. Let me put it into numbers- at 5.15 an hour, working an 8 hour day= 41.20 before taxes. Wow, I can spend 42.00 in 5 minutes. 30.00 to fill up my car and 12.00 to eat lunch and dinner (if I watch what I eat). That is crazy! If you'd like to check it out, go to: www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm ,the results are horrible.
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Okay, many people without college degrees have well paying jobs. You just need experience, marketable skills, and the will to look.
Also, raising minimum wage isn't going to help you out. The labor market works like any other market, full of supply and demand. The people who are hired to work for minimum wage are considered unskilled labor. If you but a price floor (minimum wage) in a market, companies that hire unskilled will hire less of it, or they will raise their prices to compensate for the increase in cost. The increase in prices means that your dollar will buy less than it bought before, so one day's labor will still buy a tank of gas and two meals even if you make $100 in 8 hours.
I do see where you are coming from! However; I have put a lot of time in looking for a decent job(please don't assume that I have not looked), but with my school schedule, it is hard not to resort to a crappy paying job. Many parents have to do the same thing in order to take care of their children. One works during the day while the other watches the children and vice versa. Let me guess, are you a Economics major? I just learned about Supply and Demand in class!
Peace n Bike Grease~Sara
Sorry, I wasn't making assumptions about you, your life, or your work ethic ect... I was simply pointing out that many people can get jobs above minimum wage.
I recently spent some time looking for a job that will fit my schedule as well. I took a look at my skills and my needs and determined the lowest wage that I was willing to work for. If I hadn't decided what I wanted to make i could have gotten a job sooner... As it was it was hard to do what with my schedule. But I'm not supporting myself, so I see your point too. Its just that raising minimum wage won't solve any problems.
Yeah, I'm an economics major... And my Labor class just finished talking about wage determinates and minimum wage. So I am firmly against an increase.
Thanks again for your wealth of knowledge on this subject-it helps me keep my mind open to others. If I dwelled on how poor I am right now and nothing else, I would definately become a cynical person who would latch on to the "damn the man" theory! Good thing I'm open to opinions huh? LOL...btw your professors should be proud that I could guess your major from just a short paragraph!! I will have to read some of your blogs....
Peace n Bike Grease~Sara
interesting, and as a young worker, it is frustrating to work and work and work and then want to throw the paycheck away because you're so frustrated at how little you've actually accumulated.
Increasing the minimum wage, however, is not the answer. Increasing the amount of income sounds just peachy - i wish people did that for me more often - but it has some serious drawbacks that often remain unconsidered. I'm not sure what the answer is persay, but check out these articles...they make some of the extremely critical points about miminmum wage hikes.
http://www.papillonsartpalace.com/miwnimum.htm (check it out starting about at 'minimum wage advocates imply that...')
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_n8_v47/ai_16929582 (a bit old, but the facts remain true)
interesting, no? I certainly didn't know about the negative implications before, but it makes me wonder...