Car insurance, gas, rent, food, phone bills, etc. Everyone in the U.S. has to deal with these expenses, and most people struggle with making ends meet. One group of people who are forced to live paycheck to paycheck are minimum wage workers.
Throughout the entirety of the states, there are always minimum wage workers; the only difference between them is that they range from different wage amounts by the state. For example California’s minimum wage is $16.50 while Iowa’s is $7.25, which is the federal minimum wage.
The federal minimum wage is a big part of paycheck to paycheck survival. Since 2009, $7.25 has been the federal minimum wage. That’s right- since 2009, it has not increased to meet inflation and ensure that everyone makes a livable wage. Raising the federal minimum wage has been a very hot topic with surprisingly a lot of people being in opposition to raising it.
To be frank, I am heavily disappointed and angry that nothing has changed to help protect the citizens of the U.S. when it comes to wages and money. Rather than raising the federal minimum wage to a number that still isn’t livable, we should raise it to at least $20. This would not only help combat paycheck to paycheck survival, it would also fight against the poverty rate which is 11.1% in this country.
In 2022 Nebraska passed an initiative to gradually increase the minimum wage until it reaches $15 in 2026. As of today, the minimum wage is set at $13.50 an hour, which is an increase from $12 in 2024 and $10.50 in 2023.
Although Nebraska is increasing the minimum wage to $15, that is still not a livable wage for a person living in the state of Nebraska. The living wage for the state of Nebraska for an adult with zero children is $20.12. So naturally, the wage should keep increasing from $15 until it is able to meet that livable wage, that way Nebraskans can live comfortably without worrying about whether or not they are going to have to cut corners or miss meals in order to save money.
I myself am a minimum wage worker and I unfortunately have to pay for everything when it comes to my life, and I consistently struggle to save because almost all my money right away goes to my bills such as car insurance and my phone bill.
At the end of the day I believe that our politicians and system of government needs to sit down and seriously take a look at or experience how living paycheck to paycheck is. Maybe then they will care about the minimum wage workers in this country and decide to rightfully increase the minimum wage to the average livable wage in the country.
