Working hard for less, is it worth it?

Diamond Jenkins
Blue & White Flash / Associate Editor

Minimum; that’s a risky word to use, I know. I mean, nobody wants the minimum in anything. The least or smallest amount or quantity possible does not sound too appealing.  It carries unfortunate implications.

So let’s be clear: President Obama’s minimum wage proposal would be a huge hike in most states, including Mississippi.
Obama’s $9/hour minimum-wage proposal is higher than that in every state.  The minimum wage is $7.25 per hour for employees in Mississippi, with exceptions for tipped employees, some student workers, and other exempt occupations. Would this affect you? Are you concerned?

The vast majority of this decision will affect– not teenage part-time workers; rather, most are at least 20 years old, over half work full time, and many are struggling to support their families.

In the 2013 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama called on Congress to raise the Federal Minimum Wage to $9 per hour by July 1, 2014; A whole nine dollars?  I don’t know about you, but being a broke college student, I cannot help but to be a little excited! If this new law is passed, all Mississippi employees will be entitled to earn the new national minimum wage.

When considering the effects of a possible increase, according to Economy Policy.org, this would raise the wages of about 28 million workers, who would receive nearly $40 billion in additional wages over the phase-in period. Across the phase-in period of the minimum-wage increase, gross domestic product (GDP)would increase by roughly $25 billion, resulting in the creation of approximately 100,000 net new jobs over that period. Those who would see wage increases do not fit some of the stereotypes of minimum-wage workers.

Women would be disproportionately affected, comprising nearly 55 percent of those who would benefit.

Nearly 88 percent of workers who would benefit are at least 20 years old.Although workers of all races and ethnicities would benefit from the increase, non-Hispanic white workers comprise the largest share (about 56 percent) of those who would be affected.

A 42 percent of affected workers have at least some college education, while  54 percent of affected workers work full time, over 70 percent are in families with incomes of less than $60,000, more than a quarter are parents, and over a third are married. The average affected worker earns about half of his or her family’s total income.

A gallon of milk costs $4.59. A gallon of gas costs $3.75. A loaf of bread costs $5.00, but the federal minimum wage rate stands at $7.25.

How are college graduates supposed to support themselves with such low pay? Should we be eager or concerned about this new idea?

It sounds like the up and coming Jackson State University graduates will have a lot more to worry about rather than living at home with mom and dad.

The views expressed in the commentary are those of the writer(s) and in no way represent the views of The Blue & White Flash.