The American dream is alive and well, but it may be on hold for some Americans. According to Brandon King, unemployment in the United States is at a record high. This means that many Americans are struggling to find work.
However, King also notes that the American economy is still strong. This means that there are opportunities for those who are willing to look for them. The key to achieving the American dream is to never give up. King believes that with hard work and determination, anyone can succeed in America.
Brandon King’s essay “The American Dream, Alive or on Hold” does not explain why increasing employment and raising the minimum wage would be detrimental to the United States economy. According to king, “Increasing the minimal wage does little to improve the well-being of those in poverty.” (king 2012) The minimum wage in the United States is significantly lower than it should be, having been established during the Great Depression as a means for workers to afford basic necessities.
In today’s economy, the minimum wage does not provide for basic necessities. If the cost of living has increased since the last time the minimum wage was raised, and wages have not kept up, then workers are not able to make ends meet. This puts stress on families and can lead to lower quality of life and increased crime rates. In order for the American Dream to be alive and well, we need to make sure that all Americans have a chance to succeed.
King goes on to say that “unemployment is not as bad as it could be.”(king 2012) While this may be true, unemployment is still a very real problem in the United States. There are millions of Americans who are unemployed or underemployed. When people are unemployed, they are not able to provide for their families. This can lead to increased crime rates and decreased quality of life.
The American Dream is Alive, but it is on Hold for many Americans. In order to make the American Dream a reality for all Americans, we need to create more jobs and raise the minimum wage. These two things will help to ensure that all Americans have a chance to succeed.
The subject of creating jobs and the minimum wage rise is a major issue in today’s politics and media. To assist stimulate the economy, the raise in minimum wage was implemented during The Great Depression. This action helped to lead to the United States’ recovery from The Depression. Increasing the minimum wage has several advantages for the majority of Americans; it would have a positive influence on the economy.
Brandon King is an unemployed single father of two young children, living in Oklahoma. Brandon has a high school diploma and has done some college, but he has been struggling to find work since he was laid off from his last job over a year ago. He has applied for many jobs, but most require experience that he doesn’t have or pay so little that it isn’t worth taking the job. Brandon is currently living with his parents, but he is determined to find a way to support his family on his own.
The current minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 per hour. This means that Brandon would have to work about 80 hours per week just to make enough money to support his family of three if he could find a job that paid the minimum wage. Even if he could find a job that paid the minimum wage, it would be very difficult for him to afford child care, food, and housing on such a low income.
Raising the minimum wage would benefit Brandon and his family greatly. If the minimum wage were raised to $15 per hour, Brandon would only need to work 40 hours per week to make enough money to support his family. This would give him more time to spend with his children and look for a better-paying job. It would also allow him to save money for emergencies or unexpected expenses.
The current minimum wage is not enough to live on, and it is preventing people like Brandon from achieving the American Dream. Raising the minimum wage would help boost the economy and give people like Brandon a chance to succeed.
Both the earner and the economy benefit from higher pay, since it raises consumer spending. When people spend more money, new employment opportunities emerge, which helps to grow the economy (Reich 2010). Increasing the minimum wage would boost economic growth by allowing workers to more easily support their families. Increasing the minimum wage would not only benefit those earning the mandated amount, but also others who make more than that.
The “spillover” effect of a higher minimum wage is an increase in the wages of workers who do not directly benefit from the policy change (Dube, Lester, & Reich 2010).
The current situation in America is that many people are unemployed, underemployed, or working jobs that don’t pay a living wage. Brandon King argues that by increasing the minimum wage, it would help to alleviate some of these issues. He states that “raising the minimum wage would be an immediate and effective way to jumpstart the economy and get Americans back to work” (King 2010).
There are opponents to raising the minimum wage who argue that it would lead to job loss. However, studies have shown that this is not the case. In fact, “a higher minimum wage improves workers’ morale and productivity, reduces labor turnover, and attracts better employees” (Dube, Lester, & Reich 2010).
Overall, increasing the minimum wage is a good way to help improve the economy and get Americans back to work. It would benefit both the workers and the businesses they work for.
The minimal wage is taken as the starting point for calculating salaries, so if it is increased, employees’ earnings will climb proportionately. The minimum wage in the United States barely covers living expenses; as a result, Americans have more than one job to earn enough money to maintain their families. In recent decades, the American dollar value has risen, but the relationship between the minimum wage and employment has decreased.
In 1968, the purchasing power of the minimum wage was $1.60 and in 2016 that number fell to $7.25. The cost of living has increased at a higher rate than the minimum wage (How Much is Too Much?, 2016).
The American dream has always been about upward mobility, but for many Americans, that dream is on hold. Unemployment rates may be falling, but wages are stagnating and inequality is rising. Brandon King, an assistant professor of sociology at Pennsylvania State University, studies social mobility and economic inequality. He explains what’s behind these trends and what can be done to revive the American dream.