The war about minimum wage needs to end with higher pay

By Kristian Fearon ’25

America is a country where over half a million people are currently experiencing homelessness. With the cost of living rising exponentially, the cost of everyday life gets harder to live with by the day. Groceries are getting more expensive and gas prices are going up, so something has to be done to help the people of our country. This is why I believe minimum wage should be raised. With minimum wage being raised it would strongly benefit the people of America by increasing livable income for all workers, reducing poverty and stimulate economic growth.  

One of the primary argument for raising the minimum wage is to ensure that workers earn a livable income. The current federal minimum wage in the US has been stagnant at $7.25 per hour since 2009.  In an article published by, Investopedia, it is stated that, “Working for minimum wage does not give most people a living wage. Many states and cities have a higher minimum wage in place, more than double in some cases, but workers still struggle to make ends meet.’’ by raising the minimum wage we could potentially solve this issue and make living more affordable for the citizens of our country. If the minimum wage is meant to be a living wage for our people it clearly is not enough now.

Another reason the minimum wage needs to be raised is because raising it would reduce the cost of living. America is a very costly place to live in, so with raising the minimum wage it would potentially help reduce the cost of living for people in a our country. People in our country need much more than the minimum wage is offering to be able to live comfortably in our country. The Congressional Budget Office states that, “ By boosting the income of low-wage workers who have jobs, a higher minimum wage would raise their families’ real income (that is, income adjusted to remove the effects of inflation), lifting some of those families out of poverty.” Again, raising the minimum wage would help our people, out of poverty. If America is a country that claims to be for the people why don’t we take this step to help those who are struggling in it.

Lastly, raising the minimum wage would benefit our country because it would make our country’s economics better overall.  If citizens have more money in there pockets, there is more of it to spend. “A boost to economic growth is another potential advantage of increasing the minimum wage, as consumer spending typically increases along with wages. A higher minimum wage would put more discretionary dollars in the pockets of millions of workers; money that would then flow to retailers and other businesses.” says, Investopedia. Raising the minimum wage is a first step toward ensuring economic growth and a better society. While there are concerns about potential negative effects, This evidence provided shows that a higher minimum wage would make America more suitable and greater in the future.