The President Obama sponsored a bill recently calling the Congress to adopt a $10.00 an hour Federal minimum wage by 2015 which is more than what he proposed during his 2013 State of the Union address. Republican controlled House and critics of raising minimum wage were quick to reject the idea but the President is sure to push forward with his executive powers and the upcoming 2014 State of the Union Address. The bill is stuck at the U.S. Congress at this moment. In 2013, several states including California, New York and few others took action to raise the minimum state wages per hour. Fast-food workers demonstrated recently requesting $15 an hour wage. The current Federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
Raising the minimum wage will help millions of Americans who are stuck at entry level jobs. Raising the rate will help to catch up with inflation. Two employment behemoths, Wal-Mart and McDonalds, are under pressure from all sides to increase minimum wages they pay for most of their employees. Critics say raising the minimum rate will hurt employment. It will do nothing for the unemployed. They say wages should be left to decide by market forces such as supply and demand.