One of the most disturbing problems in the “richest” country in the world is the fact that working full time does not mean you make enough to live. And this statement is not having 1 full-time paycheck trying to support a whole family; it is speaking about supporting just the employee. The fact that someone working 40 hours per week cannot put a roof over their head or food on their table is a huge shame for this country.
The current minimum wage for the U.S. is $7.25, there are 18 states and the District of Columbia that have minimum wages higher than the national minimum. This may sound like a good thing but the minimum wage does not equate to a living wage. “The idea of a living wage is that workers and their families should be able to afford a basic, but decent, life style that is considered acceptable by society at its current level of economic development,” This is a huge variable, however it is not an impossible accomplishment. In an MIT study it was determined that not a single state has a minimum wage that meets a living wage. There are 2 states that come close to providing a living wage, North and South Dakota, all other states are falling short.
RANDOM THOUGHT online magazine 