Minimum Wage Increase Starts Today

[Mrs Behavin]

Sunday, workers on the lowest pay scale in Arkansas, get an instant raise.
Instead of $5.15 an hour, minimum wage workers will now earn an additional $1.10 an hour -- up to $6.25.
While some say this change gives some of the hardest workers more buying power, the incoming president of the state`s restaurant association says.
"It just makes the cost of doing business higher and the cost of buying things at the restaurant level higher," explains Jon Sproles with Community Bakery.
The first national minimum wage was enacted by New Zealand in 1896. It became a feature of the U.S. economy in 1938.

KARK News

 

[Veronica]

good! Its about time

 

[Rusteh]

well like the business owner said, the higher the wages, the lower the buying power based on taxes and increased prices...so it really just levels out

 

[Mrs Behavin]

I just really dont see how they expect someone who makes minimum wage, who also has a family......to support them? Its just impossible!

 

[White2000GT]

At least now I have some idea how much I will be making when I get my job as a Wal-Mart door greeter after I retire from the Navy.

 

[Peter Parka]

To be honest when minimum wages were introduced over here it made a lot of people worse off. When you wern't working and went to the job centre to apply for your job seekers allowance you were asked what the minimum you would work for was. As long as it was reasonable they were ok with that. Now the'll force you to take a job for minimum wage, which to be honest, is a pitance, regardless off your skills or if you have a family to support ect. A recent survey over here revealed that it is impossible for a man, living in a council house with a wife and two kids to support, to be able to manage working 40 hours a week on minimum wage.