Essay On Federal Minimum Wage

Mathew LaFrance Federal minimum wage has a significant impact upon workers and business owners as it increases. “The federal minimum wage was introduced in 1938 during the Great Depression under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt” (“Should the Federal”). The federal minimum wage is a set national wage across the United States. Since 1938, the federal minimum wage has increased 22 times. Increasing the federal minimum wage will hurt small businesses and create more competition among teenagers. Small businesses and owners will have to decrease workers’ hours; jeopardizing small businesses. Small business owners will have to pay more for their employee’s hours. In despite of paying more for their workers’ hours, owners will lay off and minimize working hours. “In a survey of 1,213 businesses and human resources professionals, 38% of employers who currently pay minimum wage said they would lay off some employees if the minimum wage was raised to $10.10” (“Should the Federal”). Furthermore, there have been manifestations of small businesses already affected by an increase in the minimum wage. These cases were several closures of …show more content…
Around 50.4% of minimum wage workers are teenagers from 16 to 24 years of age. These young workers have a miniscule amount of expertise, which do not deserve a high paying wage. Additionally, if a company's minimum wage increased, then employing skilled workers is going to be desired for these companies. “Casey B. Mulligan, PhD, economics professor at the University of Chicago, stated that the teenage employment index fell sharply after the minimum wage increase of July 2009 (a fall of about 8% took over a year): ‘This suggests that the 2009 minimum-wage increase did significantly reduce teenage employment” (“Should the Federal”). An escalation will take effect for teenagers and skilled workers for employment if the minimum wage were to

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