Essay A Minimum Wage Increase Will Stimulate the Economy

President Franklin Roosevelt endorsed the federal minimum wage law in 1938 while the Great Depression was at its utmost insolvent position. Because at this point in time the economy was at its lowest, the sole purpose for its enactment was to keep the majority of Americans out of poverty and increase consumer demand. Following the 1960’s, the minimum wage has had a very gradual increase to the point where it is now at a standby. At this moment with a recession occurring, minimum wages have not brought any benefits to those working for such a limited pay. In fact, it has affected an amount of factors rather than actually keeping the overall population out of impoverishment. Although opponents claim a rise in minimum wages will affect†¦show more content†¦Although opponents claim higher pay will affect a number of factors, increasing the minimum wage will be ideal to lead economic activity to the right direction. The far most crucial concern for America today is t he economy’s downfall and its position at its recession peak. Ralph Nader, a consumer advocate, and the author for â€Å"America’s Miserly Minimum Wage Needs an Upgrade† argues how increasing the minimum wage can lead to better off results concerning the market activity. Nader presents two studies to prove how effective the results will be regarding a raise to those paid at the minimum wage rate. The Chicago Federal Reserve study â€Å"showed that for every dollar increase in the hourly pay... the result was $2,800 in every consumer spending from that worker’s household† that year in 2011, according to Nader. In other words, a rise in pay will allow an employee to spend a greater amount of money for any needs, which is then put into the economy. The second study by the Economic Policy Institute â€Å"indicated that a $10.50 hourly minimum wage . . . increase† would stimulate economic productivity to about $30 billion and put 140,000 job s over the course of two years (Nader). The numbers prove the effectiveness by showing an increased amount of money put into economic activity and its evidence of no negative outcome. Not only will a rise in pay stimulate the economy, but it will open an incredible amount ofShow MoreRelatedMinimum Wage Should Be Raised910 Words   |  4 Pagesmaximize the American Dream on the minimum wage† (Benjamin Todd Jealous). In 1938, minimum wage was created by the federal government in order to protect workers by ensuring a minimum of twenty-five cents per hour worked. Though President Roosevelt had the right idea in protecting the workforce, something needs to be done to ensure that Americans are getting a reasonable amount of money for the amount of hours they have worked. 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