Should We "Fight for Fifteen"? - Essay Sample

Introduction

There is a need to push for the minimum wage to be $15 which is standard according to statistics of the use of finances by the working class. $15 should be the minimum amount of compensation that the labourers need to receive under the law and it also needs to be the lowest wage that employers should be allowed to pay. Workers should push for this wage considering that they have been suffering on the verge of $7 as the minimum wage per hour which does not match with the needs and work that they do. Pushing for fifteen is necessary as it will help the workers enjoy a minimum level of income that supports their living standards.

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The highlights from 2017 in the Us Bureau of statistics where the minimum wage was $7.25 shows the characteristics of individuals who receive such amounts in an hour. Some of the characteristics of these individuals included that they were between the age of 16 and 25 where those who did not have a high school diploma earned the federal minimum wage or less while those that had the diploma were paid more. The marital status of these individuals included that they were not married because they were young and they earned less than the married workers. The occupation of these workers earning at $7 was in the sector of offering services especially in food preparation restaurants or any other service related jobs. The state of residence of those earning this wage or below was in the south especially in states such as Kentucky and South Carolina. The article states the importance of states setting policies for minimum wage rates such that they exceed the federal level because of the present state of the economy. Workers continue to report very low wages for work that they perform claiming that there is a need for increment so that it matches the profit they make for companies within the hours that they are at work. Thus, having a minimum wage of $15 will help to serve as an employment incentive such that they will be able to take better job opportunities that they are well suited as they would know how much the minimum wage would be. The article also states that the users need to be cautious about the comparison they give for states estimates in the reports that offer minimum wages on different levels due to the differing statutory of minimum wages.

Sharon Nunn (2018) comes up with an article stating the disadvantages of setting a minimum wage below the federal level as the low-income workers see long-awaited wage gains. It is difficult for employers to increase the wages of individuals earning at very low rates because the reason they are at the position is that they may not be having the full qualifications for better jobs. Sharon talks about the service delivery jobs and retail jobs which incorporate the blue-collar workers who she says may be left behind in the today economic growth which sees to the issues of the pay rise. The rate of unemployment has been low in most countries and this has created the shortage of workers not only for the workers that highly skilled who tend to command the best pay but also for the workers that have low-level skills whose wages continue to lag behind as priority is given to high skilled workers. Creation of a strong job market is efficient in spreading higher wages for these individuals who have been left behind and they include the young Americans, households of low income and individuals that have the least education. Thus, there is a need to push for better minimum wage rates because they will be effective in helping to gain pay rise according to the growth in the economy of countries.

Christopher (2017) also describes the pay gap existing between the college graduates and everyone else on the record which is a reason why workers should push for a minimum wage to be at $15. Christopher says that the college grads have long enjoyed the advantages of the economy compared to other Americans who have less education. The widening disparity is raising concerns about extending to other ways that go beyond the aspects of income which is from homeownership to marriage and retirement as well. In this case, education is considered a dividing line which affects the way Americans conduct operations such as voting. The gap is accelerating fast such that the individuals with low-level skills have their wages at or below the federal levels while the college grads enjoy high rates of wages. Thus, there is a need for workers to fight for fifteen since this is a standard wage and it will help them achieve their set standards of life and access services that they could not with the low prices. These three articles state the importance of pushing for a higher minimum wage rate as it reduces the gap between the poor and the rich and it is fair according to the current growth of the economy.

Works Cited

U.S. Bureau of labour statistics. Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2017. (2018)

Sharon, Nunn. Low-income workers see long-awaited wage gains. The Wall Street Journal. (2018)

Christopher, Rugaber. Pay gap between college grads and everyone else on the record. The Associated Press. (2017)