DETROIT – This article first appeared in the For Our Future Newsletter, a monthly newsletter that dissects national issues with a local focus and examines solutions. Sign up for it right here, or by using the form at the bottom of this article.
The American Dream relies on the idea that anyone in the U.S. has the opportunity to become prosperous and climb the social ladder if they just work hard enough.
But is that true for all working people? Certainly, those who are paid the federal minimum wage can’t really prioritize building personal wealth at $7.25 an hour.
In many places, that’s not even enough money to cover essentials like food and rent.
When the federal minimum wage was established in the 1930s, it was considered a living wage: the income of one worker was enough to sustain their entire family. But that only lasted for a few decades -- the minimum wage hasn’t really budged, especially in the last 20-30 years.
And, unfortunately, you can’t say the same about inflation. Or the cost of living.
So, why hasn’t the federal government prioritized keeping the minimum wage as a living wage for the American people? And states can implement their own minimum wage laws, but is that enough?
We’re going to take a look at the history of the minimum wage, where it could be now and why it is so low still today.
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