The minimum wage is going up to $7.25. Will that increase your paycheck? Employers: do you plan to reduce your workforce because you can't meet this extra expense?

 Minimum wage is not met to be a living wage.  Minumum wage is what you to earn while you are learning how to function in the work world.  It is what you earn while you are completing your education or developing a skill set that is worth more than the minimum wage.  If you have been in the working world more than a couple years and are still making minimum wage, that may reflect more on your work ethic, job performance and ambition rather than  the government needing to intervene on your behalf. 

Having said that, I do not believe that there should be a minimum wage.  Simply because the government puts an arbitrary worth on a job does not mean that the employer can afford to pay that wage nor does it mean that the job is worth the arbitrary value to the employer.  If it's not, the employer is going to cut the job.  Additionally, if a company wishes to recruit and retain good employees, they are going to keep their wages competitive with out government intervention. 

 I've worked jobs close to the minimum wage before, and always got raises within a period of 60-90 days of being hired that put me somewhere 10% or more above the minimum.  I've continued working P/T jobs on and off over the years, and never had one that paid less than $2.00 over the minimum.  This has included working golf course maintenance, driving a transit bus, re-stocking beer at grocery stores, and cashiering at a big box...to name a few.  Plus, I see signs at Sheetz saying they hire starting at $9.25...that's not bad.  If you're by yourself trying to afford everything on your own, that might not work too well, but it is doable if you're smart about it.  Trying to raise kids would be impossible...but if you're having kids while making that kind of money, your priorities aren't set quite right.  But basically, the only people who make minimum wages, from my experience, are the new hires who completely lack experience in the field they are hired into, and even then, I don't see many jobs hiring for less than $8.00 an hour or more.  Definitely, if you continue working at minimum wage for any longer than a few months to maybe a year, you're either not doing well enough, you're being taken advantage of, or you just don't have the ambition to strive for something better.

 In the case of smaller employers especially, the rise in the minimum wage will do nothing to those that are already above the new minimum.  Those above the old minimum will be raised to the new minimum, but not above.  The increased labor cost will cut jobs, raise prices or both.  I will not reiterate the statements above about the minimum wage not being intended as a "living" wage, but they are essentially correct. 

From a market perspective, why should an emplyer be forced to subsidize the lifestyle decision of an employee?  Of course you cannot afford to be on your own supporting a family on a minimum wage job.  Two minimum wage jobs could not supprt a family, especially if daycare is needed.  Its not the employer's role to subsidize these decisions. 

 No it will not increase my paycheck, because right now I am not getting one. But the problem is that many employers are paing new employees as a entry level position. meaning everyone gets the same pay no matter what experience you have or do not have. That is the problem, obviously most kids do not have the good work ethic that older and more experienced workers have. I believe the pay should reflect your experience and work habits ... As the old saying goes " You get what you pay for". So pay the employees what they are worth to your business and you will see a more productivity., and a much better attitude on the job.

It wont change my pay check but people need to think beyond the immediate effects and consider that people will have more money to spend. Yes it might cost a small biz owner more on the front but it can also increase sales.

Kristys statements my sound nice but the reality is much different and don't really work like that. Wages have continued to decrease over the last 20 years while companies make more and more. We would love to think this theory of "recruiting and retaining good employees" would work but it doesn't. Employees are disposable in our system.

"obviously most kids do not have the good work ethic that older and more experienced workers have"

WOW!...would you say the same thing about blacks or women. Where do they rank on your the list of hard workers?

When I had a office job I worked circles around the "cotton tops". They were slow, had medical needs and kids that made them miss work, and mostly couldn't grasp basic computer skills. We spent more $ training older works on MS Word than it would have cost to fire them and hire college drop-outs complete with computer skills.

 I was simply saying people ought to be paid according to their experience and knowledge of the job they perform. I am fifty two years old, not cotton top yet, I am very efficient on computers all of microsoft sutie including excel, I had my own business for 14 years and have driven trucks requiring class B license with no tickets no missed time from work my kids are grown and no I do not text while driving. Can you say that. Knowledge is the key. I never mentioned anything about race or gender, Why do people always play the race or gender card to try and make a point. You have to be a liberal...

how about a decrease in student loans for those who have a higher education and make a 1.00 or 2.00 more and spend 30,000 paying loans these people need pay increases too they have studied and worked hard for their degrees, and cannot make any money for the cost of the loans while an uneducated person gets yearly raises.

Gee thanks for the resume...

I was trying to show you that you can just throw blanket statements like "most kids do not the good work ethic that older...."

Its no less a stereotype than saying "blacks don't work hard". I wasn't "playing the race card" I was substituting race for your age stereotypes to show you how your statement is ageist.

can't

 But my statements are true, in my so-called blanket statement notice I said most, not all....People like you think the world or in this case the government owes you a living. Work hard, give when you don't have it to give, then and only then will you be successful...liberals like you will never experience true success because you spend all your time blaming everyone else for your failures...Get A life.

" Additionally, if a company wishes to recruit and retain good employees, they are going to keep their wages competitive with out government intervention."

I don't know where you reside or what your life exposure is, but where I come from large corporations are not concerned about recruiting or retaining good employees... at least not when it comes to what they pay.

I'm not generally in favor of government intervention, but you have to be a pretty big fool to think that corporate america gives two dog droppings about its workers.... your response sounds like a CEO response to me.

 "But my statements are true"

So you have study that shows this? Or is this just your wisdom from all your years of working?

I don't think the government owes me a living. You are putting words in my mouth.

 Why not raise the minimum wage to $12.00 an hour?

That would be even more "livable" right?

Much of the minimum wage debate is about what unions want...raising THEIR wages in comparison to the minimum wage.  Another tool in their belt to use.

It's funny, certain types of people depict companies (the people who provide jobs) as villains.  They call them BIG Business and accuse them of making a PROFIT (I know, what a horrible accusation).  These people believe that business owners should pay them MORE, for being, well, a business OWNER. Jobs be damned. In the middle of a recession, no less.

These people are ALSO, simultaneously, trying to make it harder and more expensive for businesses to function (hire more people) by over-burdening them with "climate" taxes and over-regulation.  They say it will halt "Climate Change", which used to be "Global Warming" (until that became too obviously false and way too easy to measure). 

These types of people are running our country right now. 

It ain't working out too well is it?

Has all this CHANGE made you lose HOPE yet?

The remaking of America is underway...unless....