Illinois just upped the minimum wage from $7.50 an hour to $7.75.
Stance:
This is great for workers surviving on minimum wage, but it is up to employers to pay a livable wage.
Minimum wage was just increased 25 cents an hour in Illinois to $7.75.
Right now, thanks to the Fair Labor Standards Act, the base minimum wage for hourly workers in this country is $5.85. On the 24th of this month, that rate will increase to $6.55, and next year it will increase to $7.25.
It looks like we're ahead of the curve.
The evergreen state leads the pack with a minimum wage of $8.07. That rate is adjusted every year for inflation.
But for now, Illinois workers are paid nearly $2 more than the national standard.
This sounds great, that Illinois workers are better compensated than most of the nation; it's true, we are, but try telling that to workers who live off minimum wage earnings.
The Illinois minimum wage increase means a salary of just over $16,000 for minimum wage earners.
Coupled with the well-known fact that most employers keep workers just under full time so they don't have to dole out benefits means that $16,000 yearly salary isn't very much.
Rent, utilities, food, gas and other expenses add up quickly.
Add to the mix just one child, and the remainder of workers' take-home pay is pretty much drained.
Honest people trying to make an honest buck should not have to scrape to get by.
Some of the critics of the wage increase say that it will primarily benefit teenagers who work part time. They say that a spoiled generation will just get a few more dollars in their paychecks to blow on whatever teenagers buy.
A study from Northeastern University revealed that less than half the teenagers from households earning $75,000 to $100,000 had any sort of summer employment.
Unemployment is also up in Illinois. Every one of the 12 metropolitan areas in the state recorded increases, according to a June 26 press release from the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
Invariably, many of the unemployed have families and dependents to support, so they are competing for a paycheck.
In many cases, they are adults who are relegated to working minimum wage jobs.
The increase in Illinois means about $520 more for minimum wage earners. But is this enough for workers who have to support families?
Employers who can afford to pay more should. Not everyone get the opportunity to go to college and earn a degree.
Even those that do have degrees often find that waiting tables proves to be more profitable than an entry-level position.
Major media outlets scarcely fail to let us know that the economy is slowing a bit; some saying it is worse that others.
In an increasingly individualistic society, we may have to shift to a more collective mentality. If things do get as bad as some people say, cooperative living to varying degrees may be an appealing option.
Perhaps the model of collective living that is so familiar to so many college students may be the best bet for after graduation and beyond.