Reference no: EM133769935

Assignment:

Comment on the following post with one question :

After watching the video on the U.S. minimum wage, and it made me think about why our minimum wage is not automatically adjusted for inflation. I guess that it is too much like right. Minimum wage is the absolute lowest amount you can be paid by law, while the living wage is what is needed to cover your basic needs like rent, food, healthcare etc.

One of the reasons the United States does not automatically raise the minimum wage with inflation is largely political. In order to change the wage, it would require plenty debates and compromises from lawmakers that all have different point of views.

In the state of Louisiana where I reside, the current minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, which is the federal minimum wage. In contrast, the living wage for a single adult in Louisiana is about $15.01 per hour according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator. This results in a gap of approximately $7.76 per hour between the minimum wage and the living wage. This discrepancy highlights that many workers are struggling to make ends meet on the current minimum wage.

Most of the time minimum wage gets plenty of attention attention because it sets a basic standard that affects a large number of workers. Now as far as the living wage, it is crucial for understanding what it takes to live comfortably, and it does not capture as much media attention. The gap between the minimum wage and living wage in Louisiana underscores the need for more discussions about better support for workers and ensure that compensations are fair.

The difference between the minimum wage and the living wage points to the most significant issue which is; many people cannot cover their essential expenses with the current minimum wage.