Minimum Wage Hurts the Poor

As housing and costs of living rise around the city, the minimum wage has stayed stagnant. Photo by Trent Legaspi | The Signal

Minimum wage jobs are the pinnacle of the United State’s economy today. These jobs are what teachers in our past years of middle to high school would threaten us to go to one of these minimum wage jobs if we do not pursue high education. 

However, what is minimum wage, and why should we care about it?

Minimum wage is the minimum amount of compensation a person gets paid under the labor laws. 

Federal laws in the United States are at a set rate depending on what a person gets paid under minimum wage. However, even though there is a set rate in the United States, things differ depending on your state. 

In public economics, governments treat the minimum wage as a measure to address problems that are associated with poverty. 

This process ensures  that all the workers in this type of job will enjoy a bare minimum payment. The goal is to enjoy their current lifestyle in these jobs.

However, not everything is butterflies and rainbows when it comes to minimum wage. Many people struggle more economically when working at a minimum wage job. 

The sad fact is today, rent in the cities are high. Sometimes, a single minimum wage job does not cover  half of your rent. 

To solve the rent issue, a person either has to have two to three different jobs to cover the rent or start working hours to protect  it. However, that is only about rent. 

What about groceries, appliances, and other necessities?  A minimum wage job only benefits the wealthy in our capitalist society. The workers often work for the owners of each of these corporations. 

Most of the time, minimum wage jobs are the jobs no one wants. This fact goes back to the threat we heard from a past teacher.

“If you do not pursue a higher education, you will be flipping burgers for a living.” Sure, some jobs that pay minimum wages are in an office setting. 

Still , we see many people who work these jobs as part of customer service most of the time.

No one wants these jobs because customers are unpredictable. The customers poorly treat some of the time, people in this industry of these establishments. 

It is a known fact that some customers who enter this retail store or this restaurant already believe they are above you because you work at this minimum wage job. 

Minimum wage jobs create more unemployment. It can be because of the minimum wage workers’ treatment from their supervisors or even the customers. 

This minimum wage creates more unemployment because these jobs are no cakewalk. Many workers constantly have to put their mental health at risk because they have to work at this particular job to pay for school and their way of living. 

No one wants these jobs. People who work on minimum wage do it to get where they want to be. 

Some people work minimum wage to pay for school or even to make a living so they can pursue a risky career like acting. 

So next time you are in a retail store or at a restaurant, remember to treat these workers kindly and respectively because without them we would not have the same stores we have today.