What do you think about the minimum wage? Can you survive and provide the basic goods and necessities if you are only making minimum wage? Should it be raised or should if stay the same? Find out more on this edition of A Public Affair!
On Tuesday December 17th, our host Carousel Bayrd was joined by Representative Melissa Sargent and Mike Wilder, community coalition coordinator for Wisconsin Jobs about Minimum Wage, and the impact it has on society and the economy.
When workers make minimum wage, we all pay for it, while corporations that employ these workers make the profits. Here’s a break down of how minimum wage is affecting our economy and our pockets:
About 73% of Americans getting public benefits are working, but cannot afford basic needs such as housing, food and health care.
Fast food workers in the United States cost the United States $7 billion a year nationally.
The majority of fast food workers are part time, working about 30 hours a week, but cannot get full time hours at those jobs. However, even if they do end up working full time, more than 50% still get public assistance with 40 hours of work.
Lastly, only about 18% of fast foof workers are teenagers ages 16-18 living at home.
