Most people in the United States would like to see an increase in the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.10, which is a nearly 40% increase in the hourly rate. Such a big decision that will affect the entire country must be discussed and debated intensively before being implemented. In an economy characterized by unemployment rates at the highest levels in decades, you might think that this is a good action to take, but the consequences of doing so prove otherwise. President Obama and the Democratic Party are the main supporters of the idea of ​​increasing the level of unemployment. minimum wage to help families living below the poverty line, but it will do as much harm as good. “President Obama's call to raise the federal minimum wage could help lift 900,000 workers out of poverty, but at the cost of 500,000 jobs” (Davis). Research has shown that raising the minimum wage will significantly help those who keep their jobs, but at the cost of losing half a million jobs. This will cause more and more people to become dependent on the government to provide for their daily needs. Given that the government is already severely in debt, this is the last thing we need as a country. More and more citizens will resort to crime to provide for their families in times of great need. People will struggle even more to provide for their loved ones and will resort to alternatives to provide for them. While raising the minimum wage to $10.10 will greatly help 900,000 people, it will severely devastate those citizens and their families who will lose their jobs to help pay for the increased wages. This is not the first time the federal minimum wage has been proposed to be increased. From 2007 to 2009, the minimum wage increased from $5.15 to $7.25, where it is still... middle of paper... etc. for all Americans, those earning the minimum wage and those in wage jobs earning above the bare minimum. . Even if people earn more, they will spend more on the necessities of life. Raising the minimum wage to the proposed level would cripple the American economy. Research shows that it would help a lot of people, but it would put many more Americans out of a job, leaving them with no ability to support themselves and their families. The same scenario would happen again, just as happened previously when the minimum wage was increased: jobs would be lost. Prices would rise dramatically, citizens would lose jobs, and more people would become dependent on the government if the minimum wage increased. None of these things are good for an economy, especially one that is already struggling. The consequences of raising the minimum wage are very serious.