Exploratory Essay-Minimum Wage

19 December 2014

Anastasia Dodge

WRIT 116.201

Exploratory Essay

Prof. Bailey-Hartsel

Minimum Wage

I fall under the category of being a college student that works at a fast food restaurant and at Walmart, being paid only minimum wage. The amount of hours that I work compared to the amount of money that I make has not helped me to pay for my college tuition and other necessities I require such as food. Lately, the amount that I have been paid has been enough to be able to buy myself a few things that I need, and maybe one or two items that I would like to own. Because of this, I have grown curious about whether minimum wage needs to be raised in Wisconsin in order to fulfill the things that those working these jobs needs, or if an increase would just lead to the prices of everything else to increase.

When working a job that pays Minimum Wage in Wisconsin, you can feel as though your time spent doing your job is pointless. In Wisconsin minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, but once taxes and any other possible expenses have been deducted from your paycheck you may be taking home next to nothing. Jobs that pay minimum wage are thought to be jobs for only teenagers, in order for them to learn the value of money. However, teenagers are not the only people that are working these jobs. Parents may be working these jobs, college students could be working these jobs or anyone else that has legitimate bills to pay. And this is where I start to wonder if minimum wage should be raised to a more livable pay rate in Wisconsin.

The debate of whether to raise minimum wage in Wisconsin or not has become a heated discussion in recent years. People that are working minimum wage jobs in Wisconsin want to see the rate increase in order to provide for themselves, and sometimes their family, with a house and food and other necessities that they may not be able to afford due to their low rate of pay. Other people working these jobs may want to see the wage raised because they...