Minimum Wage
As someone in his early twenties, it's become increasingly apparent to me just how far removed that minimum wage is from the realities of what it takes to support yourself in today's world.
Assuming that you're in the position to be receiving minimum or just slightly higher, the likelihood is extremely strong that you'll also be receiving less than forty hours per week of work. Due to the necessity of overtime pay being time and a half, most employers penalize managers that allow their employees to exceed forty hours in a given week, regardless of their desire to do so.
One of the biggest problems with minimum wage is that it simply isn't realistic for many of the areas that it's targeted towards. For instance, after taxes, it's not uncommon for some retail workers in the Maryland area to make less than 1000 dollars during any given month – I know this to be true, because it was my situation.
This isn't generally a problem – if you're not also trying to live independently while maintaining a socially acceptable lifestyle. When you factor in the cost of living (especially in this area), where rent can cost generally between 700 – 1000 dollars, already the notion of being able to support yourself flies out the window. When you factor in the typical BGE bill, which can also run upwards of 100-200 dollars, it quickly becomes completely impossible to start up without living in unsafe neighborhoods and sacrificing many of the niceties that we often take for granted.
How on earth can this be considered justifiable by our lawmakers?
Every time that a proposal is made to increase the minimum wage, it's quickly struck down or negotiated down to a still-unacceptable level. Without even factoring in the cost of food or health care, or the occasional luxury like a cell phone, a minimum wage worker's entire paycheck can be consumed by the cost of rent and electricity.
That anyone could think that the current amount is acceptable is just sickening.
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wow. i'm in the exact same position I work in retail making 7.25. and after taxes rapes my check it's barely enough to pay my bills. and i work around 60 hrs every two weeks and i can't afford to work full time and balance school. so idk what to do. i'm glad im not the only one who thought minimum wage was bullshit and made no sense. lol
ReplyDeleteEffective July 24, 2009, covered nonexempt workers are allowed to a increase in wage from $6.55, to not less than $7.25 per hour,. Overtime pay at a rate not less than one and one-half times the regular rate of pay is required after 40 hours of work in a workweek. Minimum wage provisions have been and stay contentious, with some economists in disagreement that higher wages unfavorably impact small businesses, they argue that, if you tax something (in this case, jobs) or increase its cost, you end up with less demand for that thing. I still think that wages should be raised to match the ever-increasing life coast, but more importantly, the adjustment is very much needed in the unequal pay between men and women especially now more than ever before. Women accounts for almost 50% of all workers and 2/3 of women are called “breadwinner” for the first time, and institutions should adjust to foster this new dynamics.
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ReplyDeletehttp://www.selfsufficiencystandard.org/pubs.html
ReplyDeletethis website shows the cost of living for many parts of america. in howard county, if you want to live on your own with no roommates (i know i dont want to live with a bunch of roommates), you can expect to pay around $1200 for housing per month. also in that month, you have to add in the costs of food ($230), transportation($260), health care(if you want it! - $150), and another $180 for all the "stuff" we all buy (clothes, entertainment, etc.). after that you have to account for taxes, which take another $620 of your paychecks. all in all this website says you need to make an hourly rate of $15/hr, with a 40 hour work week, in order to live in howard county without any type of help from any government programs (food stamps, welfare, etc.). if you have one child, and are raising them as a single parent (again with no roommates), the money you have to make per hour in order to live in howard country almost doubles ($25/hr for a child in middle/elementary school).
I agree i work part time and every paycheck i get is so crappy and it took me like the whole summer to find a job. lawmakers dont realize how hard it is for people because they get paid bank so as long as their living the life they dont understand how hard to is for people to make a living with minium wage. i live at home and since i started working my dad wants me to start paying bills and my paycheck is only enough to pay for like my gas. Before taxes it looks good but after it makes me sad. I feel like i work so hard just to get a hundred bucks. Thats why im in college so i can get an education and make bank lol
ReplyDeleteI agree, at these prices one should dare to have a child. Our system of employment and pay rate is out of hand. Health Care is not offered at most low paying jobs. This type of employment leaves little time for family education and other things that could be used to better health. What can we do? Even if we relocate to place with a lower standard living rate, there would be less jobs and lower wages. How do we say enough is enough. This is why some commit to crime, not saying that its justifiable but understandable. Crime feeds alot of families including policemen, judges, and bails bondsmem.
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