Everyone in the US goes on about raising minimum wage to a living wage, asking for a nation wide, sweeping minimum. While I agree that wages are too low, I think that we need a different approach. Minimum wage needs to be based off the cost of living in an area. I live in Seattle now, where the minimum is $17.29 for companies with 25+ people, but in order to live in the neighborhood that I work in, you need to make at least $20-$25 to stay within a 40 hour week, and that’s with a roommate, renting an apartment.
I used to live in central Illinois. $20/hr means you could own a house. My rent here is more than my parent’s mortgage. I feel like this piece of information is something that is missing from national debates. It’s one of the reasons that the conservative voter base can get behind balking at living wage arguments. Their voter base is rural, where cost of living is lower.
Thoughts?