Natalie Barletta – Special to the Southern News
Most college students have part-time jobs to support themselves. In college, the money from part time-jobs can be spent in several different ways. Some rent their first apartment or buy a car. Some pay for their books and education. Some pay for their essentials and some treat themselves to a relaxing night out with friends. Most of these jobs tend to go from 10-20 hours a week, and pays $8.25 an hour, (also known as minimum wage). Basically a two week paycheck can be $320, or $640 a month. If you work a 40 hour work week, you are making $330 a week, and $1320 a month. In January, however, minimum wage will rise to $8.70 an hour. If you work a 20 hour work week, then you would be making a total of $348 every two weeks or $696 a month. Although it’s being raised, it’s still a stretch when that’s your budget for the month.
Jobs with minimum wage payment include retail, bagging groceries at a grocery store, food service, and of course, the jobs that we have here at Southern are most likely around minimum wage. These types of jobs tend to not require much education, so people without their high school diploma can work in them. Nowadays, people as young as 16 are able to work in these types of jobs.
However, one can argue that you can’t survive on minimum wage. I agree with that because to have an apartment, and to pay for basic essentials such as food, heating, and electricity, you may be coming up a tad bit short, with very little room for luxury. When we factor that families have to live on it, things are going to be a bit tricky. Money, no doubt, will be tight.
If you’re a teenager in the latter years of high school, getting a job can help you pay for a car, clothes, CDs/DVDs, and electronics. Teens are often the target group that advertisers and companies try to reach. Ever notice the Apple 5c’s bright colors? Chances are, it’s marketed for teenagers, because they want something bright, fun, colorful, and personalized to their taste. These types of people can work these jobs because they don’t have that many bills to pay. Having these types of jobs as a teen can also be helpful, because they are building a resume for the future. This is good because when they are applying to their jobs that are not just for pocket money, they have experience.
In my opinion, it’s virtually impossible to support yourself on one minimum wage paycheck. Raising it is helpful, but we have to raise it more than just fifty cents an hour. If there is a single parent, raising even one child on this is helpful. They have to be able to provide safe and warm housing for their children, in addition to healthy and nutritious food, and of course clean clothes. With two parents, it’s less of a struggle; however they wouldn’t be buying a mansion any time in the distant future. Although there is supposed to be an increase again in 2015 to nine dollars, people living on this sort of wage will still be struggling.
The only good thing about this matter is that in the future, the only thing that it can do is go up. Imagine one day telling your children that minimum wage is less than ten dollars, while their working at the local grocery store for 15. The rise is only just beginning.
