Whether or not minimal wage should be raised

The minimal wage should be raised from what employers are currently paying workers. For a better understanding, a minimum wage is the lowest monthly, daily or hourly wage that employees are legally paid by their employers. It is imperative to note that the value of a nation is reflected by the wages workers are paid. Any individual who work should be able to live decently and work for a brighter future. However, many Americans who are working hard are being underpaid. The last time the Congress raised the minimum wage was about ten years ago. On the contrary, prices for commodities like gasoline and health care are on the increase each year. It seems the only logical thing to raise the minimum wage, so that the low-income workers can afford basic necessities.

Most of the minimum-wage workers earn too little to afford adequate housing in most states. Some of them depend on food banks or charities so as to feed themselves. It is intriguing to note that workers earning a minimum wage are the ones doing the most difficult jobs, which are very essential in the society. They do the cleaning in the offices; take care of the elderly, and children in day-care centers. These are men and women who are very hard-working and the least the government can do to them is to raise the minimum wage, as a form of appreciation. America is a rich nation, and there is no reason for anybody working to be poor. The current minimum wage makes it hard for most American families to live above the poverty line.

Legislators should set up a mechanism which automatically increases the minimum wage each time the cost of living increases. So as, not to hurt the economy, the minimum wage should be put under an annual review that requires a public report giving the reasons on whether the yearly adjustment to the minimum wage is either below or above the rate of inflation.

In conclusion, raising the minimum wage will be effective in targeting families that rely heavily on low-wage work, in maintaining a decent living standard. The minimum wage issue is very important because it is not just about helping the poor. It is an issue about being fair to the value of work. Moreover, employers should not be allowed to profit by exploiting the absence of the negotiating power of workers with low wages.