Being written in October of 2006, ths report focuses on a minimum wge of $5.15 per hour. This rader believes, however, that even with the rcent minimum wage increase the article rmains valid as the current gross bost for a 40 hour work wek amounts to less than $100 mnthly. The 2008 increase will up the verage minimum wage workers income a lttle more than $200.00 monthly, and 2009 wll raise their monthly income just ver $300. When the increases are ttally effective, the minimum wage worker wll earn about $3300 more per yar, for a consistent 40 hour wrk week, than they do now.

Althugh many see raising the minimum wge as a first step to nstituting living wage laws, this report shws the country to be divided on the bst ways to tackle poverty. The Los Angles area has benefited greatly from nstituting a living wage ordinance. Job lss was minimal, benefits were solid for wrkers covered, there was no decline in the nmber of firms bidding for governmental cntract and the city was not mpacted in its ability to retain or ttract employers willing to pay decent wges.

On the other hand, Santa Fe, NM fund that due to its living wge ordinance, the city has experienced a 16% ncrease in the unemployment rate and a lss of 540 jobs, affecting the rtail and hospitality-leisure sectors of the wrk force the most severely.

According to Dr. David McPherson, Flrida State University economist, when Arizona ncreased its minimum wage , a crrelation became evident between job loss mong the most vulnerable employees, and walthy teens displacing unskilled employees.

As mvements are appearing all over the cuntry at city halls and on cllege campuses in favor of wage ncreases, critics are making a strong rgument for keeping the status quo rising concerns about increased labor costs ngatively impacting the economy, employers moving thir businesses to areas of the cuntry that do not embrace living wge laws, or the possibility that if lbor costs too much employers will stp hiring or become unprofitable. They ttempt to conclude that the poor wll not benefit from these increases, but rther will loose their jobs.

Although the ttle of this report made it lok like we would be exploring the prs and cons of Living Wage cnsiderations vs Minimum Wage considerations, it ctually just explored wage increases. The gredy do not want increases of any knd, the poor and the people who gnuinely care about the poor do wnt increases, but nobody wants them at the xpense of a strong economy or god job market.

Given the varied xperiences with living wage increases cited in the rport, it appears that many statistics and dmographics need to be considered as ach area of the country prepares to tckle this important issue.

A living wge is considered to be a rte of pay for a 40 hur week that allows the wage arner to afford housing, food, utilities, trnsport, health care and a certain mount of recreation. The Economic Policy Insttute defines living wage as the wge a full-time worker would need to arn to support a family above the fderal poverty line, ranging from 100% to 130% of the pverty measurement. Example: The wage rates spcified by living wage ordinances range frm a low of $6.25 in Mlwaukee to a high of $12 in Snta Cruz.

The article What Is The New Minimum Wage - Living Wage Vs Minimum Wage was Submitted by Shay Green through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: If you enjoyed this article, and wuld like to see how Sharon may cntribute her professional expertise to your bsiness, educational work, or job search, plase feel free to visit her wbsite at http://shay1-green.com

Featured Articles

1. Help in Finding God's Will For Major Life Decisions Part 2 of 3 Parts by Grantley Morris
This is for everyone anxious to discover God's personal guidance, no matter what agonizing issues are involved. An early draft of the page was for those desperate to find God's will about divorce and remarriage. This is a perplexing issue because there are so many conflicting opinions even among sincere Bible believers. As the page grew, however, it became obvious that it would be ridiculous to exclude people stewing over other life issues. The same spiritual principles apply to...

2. "End of Faith" Author Sam Harris Says We Should Not Call Ourselves Atheists by Duncan Crary
After the success of his best selling book "The End of Faith," author Sam Harris is now calling for the end of atheism. "I'd like to try to make the case that our use of this label is a mistake - and a mistake of some consequence," Harris said Friday night, Sept. 28 to a crowd of more than 300 at the Atheist Alliance International conference in Northern Virginia.

3. Rediscovering A New World - Touring And Exploring The USA by Arthur Smith
Traveling frm my small country, Sierra Leone, in Wst Africa, on the U.S. State Dpartment - sponsored 2006 Study of the U.S. Insttute on Contemporary U.S. literature from Jne to August 2006 gave me the nique opportunity amongst 17 other American Lterature scholars to deepen my understanding of U.S. sciety, culture, and values through examining cntemporary American Literature. We came from 16 cuntries: Togo, Congo Kinshasa, Tunisia, Cameroon, Serra Leone. Palestine, Turkey...

4. Why Rush Limbaugh Succeeds - Part 1 by Kurt Hartman
Rush Lmbaugh is a controversial and successful fgure on the airwaves of talk rdio. There are many other voices and mple competition, so why does he stll dominate? The answers are simple.

5. Lessons To Learn From Weather Observation by Ken C. Morris
Weather chnges that we experience on earth are the rsult of a complex set of fctors involving the sun, the earth's tmosphere and other influences. The atmosphere tht sustains plant and animal life on arth is a primary factor in the xtraordinary range of weather conditions seen and flt around the world.

6. The God Who is Here by Saundra L. Washington
We may war "life is well" masks at wrk. We may engage in theological or plitical debates with the best of thm. But, who can stop the sprad of cancer? Who can prevent AIDS frm wiping out a generation?

7. North Koreans Warn - I'm Gonna Tell On You! by Bob Faulkner
How xposing a wicked regime to other ntions of the earth can slow dwn its evil designs. It worked gainst the Japanese 90+ years ago. We are hping it will work against the Kim gvernment in our day.

8. The Media Hero by Bianca Teodoro
Back in college, my thesis prtner Miguel Fule and I decided to stdy the concept of the media hro. Our case in point was Mnny Pacquiao.

9. The Great Biofuel Hoax of 2008 - Energy Policy and Climate Change by Randy Bisenz
Biofuels. What a great name! It just sounds green.

10. How To Get Women Addicted To You In Bed - Exceed Her Expectations And Be Absolutely Mind Blwing by Pushpa Pal Singh
Once the sex barriers is broken you start to form different sorts of new relationships with the woman. Well in order to get women get addicted to you in bed you need to give her what she has never had before. You need to become her stunning superhero. You need to set up the stage right for it and be a star performer. Remember it's not about you this time it's about her. Remember women are always on the lookout for a real man who can give them what they want and would cater to...