2008 Woodie Awards
Minimum wage still means meager living
Editorial Board
Issue date: 7/3/08 Section: Opinions
| Our View | |
| Situation: | 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.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
swanee
posted 7/03/08 @ 10:24 AM CST
Look for a war between the "haves" and the "have nots" in the not too distant future.
There are recently published statistics which show that the gap between the richest and the poorest is at the widest it has been since just before the Great Depression. (Continued…)
Ryan
posted 7/03/08 @ 3:08 PM CST
Unfortunately you failed to mention that as "retail" business pay more for their employees...the retail cost of items increase, which means that everyone pays more, which equals more money going through the register. (Continued…)
liz
posted 7/09/08 @ 10:18 PM CST
Look, the minimum wage was always intended to be a wage for young people, not the wage for a head of household. I know people who came to this country, spoke no english, held down 20,30 more hours at however many jobs they needed and managed to set aside thousands of dollars. (Continued…)
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