Minimum Wage: The Death of Local Business and Higher Education

Over the last ten years the minimum wage in Washington state has raised almost $3.50. That’s another $7000 payed each year to full-time employees. Over the ten years Washington state has become one of the most expensive places to live in the country, Seattle ranking number six in the nation. I believe that because minimum wage was raised, local employers can’t make enough gross revenue to keep paying their employees so much per hour. Because of this, they must raise the prices of their products or close up shop. Many small businesses are especially affected by this and I think that’s a big reason why the state is so full of chain corporation businesses. A local business could sell food, housing or transportation and when those costs go up, the poverty level doesn’t change because although people are making more they are still having to pay the same value for the things they need. It’s like adding inflation. These are just a few of the problems with raising minimum wage. What happens to the people who have undergone extensive training and education to gain a career that will allow them to live comfortably? Obviously, they’re not getting salary raises when the government decides to raise minimum wage. Over time their training and experience is becoming less and less valuable to them because they could work another job and be making close to or the same as anyone else on the street. The upcoming generations are facing this hard decision. What should they do? Go to school for years, taking on tens of thousands of dollars in debt or take a couple dollar pay cut and head straight into the work field. It’s almost like school isn’t even worth it at this point. It seems to be more of a tradition than a necessity for many people. If this trend continues, the US will be one of the most uneducated, impoverished countries in the world.
