The Pros and Cons of Raising the Minimum Wage
In February of this year, President Obama, in an attempt to push a reluctant Congress to pass
nationwide minimum wage hikes, enacted legislation that raised the minimum wage for all federal workers to
$10.10 per hour. President Obama claimed that the higher minimum wages were necessary for the protection of
the poor, while Congress refused to pass a national minimum wage hike because members of Congress believed
that minimum wage raises would threaten small businesses and cause higher unemployment rates. Higher
minimum wages certainly create better living standards for those already employed in low-paying industries,
and likely result in economic benefits such as increased spending and reduced participation in social welfare
programs. However, based upon statistical evidence and economic logic, minimum wage hikes actually harm
those on the lowest spectrum of the income scale by decreasing the number of workers that firms are willing to
hire, thus raising unemployment.
According to supporters of minimum wage hikes, increasing minimum wage represents a moral
