BF2S Forums Why don't we just set the Minimum Wage to $10/hour?

I like this attitude that people can just snap their fingers and "get a better job", "get better skills", or "work harder".

Minimum wage is part of a social safety net. Some people don't have the means or opportunity to change. If they are working 10 hours a day, 6 days a week in an exhausting job, they are hardly likely to be out boning up on the New York bar exam to improve their lot.  And those with any ambition will use it as a base to improve themselves over time and get into better jobs. The minimum wage is there to provide some sort of absolute basement level for unskilled labour.

The fact is the US has a significantly different attitude to social welfare to much of the rest of the Western world. What many European countries consider normal, some Americans would consider "communism". But then the cost of running those welfare systems is high, and sometimes too much. A lot of European countries have cut back on their welfare systems, and been castigated as moving to the "American system".

The preferable system is somewhere in between. Enough to help people in times of need, but not enough people free load off it, and enough regulation to catch the free loaders who always turn up.

Don't even get me started on the American health system .... perhaps all those people who get sick and suddenly need $50,000.00 for treatment should also snap their fingers and "get well"?

Harmor wrote:

Now that the newly Democratic Congress is in power, why not just set the Minimum Wage to $10/hour?

hellz no, unless you want candy bars to start costing $5....

Bubbalo wrote:

SenorToenails wrote:

The thing that really sucks about raising minimum wage is this:

For my job during college, I made $10/hour.  New York raised the minimum wage from the Federal minimum of $5.15/hour to $7.15/hour during my years there.  Did my wage go up?  No.  Raising minimum wage is just another way politicians pretend to look out for the poor.  It doesn't change much of anything.

That's because you were above minimum wage you twit.  It only helps people who are working at minimum wage.

My point is that there are so few people at minimum wage that it hardly matters.

Most places that might start you at minimum have a system where you can earn raises through seniority.  I know when I worked at Burger King in high school that I started at minimum but didn't stay there long.  These raises do not get carried over when minimum wage is raised, but the cost of living will increase due to increased expenses (thats the theory, at least).

If you are stuck at a minimum wage job with no hope for a raise, become a janitor and unionize.

jonsimon wrote:

That's the point. Minimum wage is supposed to be at the equillibrium wage. Price floors are only intelligent when they are set at the equillibrium. If everyone is getting paid $10/hr then the equillibrium is around $10/hr and the minimum wage should reflect that.

I guess I am mostly complaining for selfish reasons...

It really sucks when you are working at a job long enough to get a raise above what the new-hires get, then the state-mandated minimums come into effect and wipe out any seniority wage increases you had.  It's more of a complaint than anything else.