Federal minimum wage is $7.25 but it varies from state to state.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._minimum_wages

Is your state's minimum wage fair in your opinion or do you think it should be higher?

I really don't know. There are arguments on both sides. Maybe a compromise would be to raise it but keep it lower for teenage workers, temporary/seasonal?

There's no easy answer. Is the $15,080.00 that a person grosses on a 40hrs/52wks enough for some people to live on? No but what's a universal "living wage"? Should the counter people at McDonalds make $15-$20/hr? The guy who does Tony's yard work? You want to double, triple, quadruple the cost of a hamburger? OK, not you specifically, Shale but what about the busboys and dishwashers at Olive Garden? Will you still be able to afford your cheese ravioli? If a small business that employs 10 people at minimum wage now has to increase those wages by whatever, are all 10 of those people still going to have jobs?

Yes.

Minimum wage in OR is $8.80 but we have the some of the lowest salaries in the country for many jobs. I don't know if there is a correlation but there just may be.

Yes it should be. There are too many "working poor" folks in this country.

I think it should be raised to $9/hr.

Raising minimum wage just means whatever you make is worth less now. The minimum wage will always be the minimum wage no matter what it is. Raising it is stupid because it, by it's very nature, can never be a living wage. And if anything, raising it will only mean more people will be making it. And then there are even less people making a living wage. The logic behind raising it again and again always seemed to be rooted a lot more in emotion than anything resembling logic.

Shale wrote:

Ppl need a living wage. I make about $5 more than minimum and one of my checks a month covers my rent with about a $100 left over. IDK how ppl live on minimum wages.

Forgiveness Man wrote:

Raising minimum wage just means whatever you make is worth less now. The minimum wage will always be the minimum wage no matter what it is. Raising it is stupid because it, by it's very nature, can never be a living wage. And if anything, raising it will only mean more people will be making it. And then there are even less people making a living wage. The logic behind raising it again and again always seemed to be rooted a lot more in emotion than anything resembling logic.

Minimum wage in Oregon is $8.95 but employers pay some of the lowest wages for comparable jobs in other cities than any where else with the possible exception of high tech and jobs in the trade industries.

It does not make the COL in Portland any less either.

I feel like I need to do more research on this to take a hard stance, but my initial reaction was it's a bad idea to do so.

To be frank, SOMEBODY has to do it--every skill is not worth the same dollar wise. Somebody has to flip the burgers and make burger-flipping money.

And even if it is raised, I don't think it would have a significant impact on those in minimum wage positions. They will STILL only be making enough money to just get by--just shy of $19k net, and that's not including FICA.

It's unfortunate to be in a position where you really can't make ends meet, but at the same time, there are people who make 5 times the minimum wage and have more month than they have money. In general, this is a nation of overextended people who spend too much money on non-essentials without paying attention to their financial status. People who make minimum wage KNOW they make minimum wage, and probably need to find other ways to make ends meet. They have to be diligent about their spending and saving habits like everybody else. I personally feel that we need to start holding people responsible for their choices instead of always bailing them out. Not saying that everyone on minimum wage makes poor choices, but there are plenty of people who make minimum wage and live comfortably at or below their means.