A minimum wage is a government-set hourly wage that represents the minimum amount an individual receives each hour. The federal minimum wage was established in 1938 under the “Presidency of Franklin Roosevelt” (Henderson). Currently, most states have a minimum wage of less than $10. However, the federal government wants to raise the minimum wage to $12 across the United States. The federal government believes that raising the minimum wage will help numerous people in the United States since most people work at minimum wage jobs to support their families. According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008 approximately “75.3 million people age sixteen and older worked at hourly wages” (“Minimum Wage”). That means nearly a quarter of this nation's workforce works in minimum-wage jobs. Many people believe that these workers are unable to make ends meet and raising the minimum wage will substantially help these people. Even though people believe that increasing the minimum wage will benefit society, they tend to overlook the disadvantages of increasing the minimum wage and how it will prove harmful to society. People believe that raising the minimum wage will prove harmful as it will take away opportunities for high school students to gain knowledge and explore different career options. Furthermore, it will also reduce the unemployment rate, making it more difficult for the working poor to meet their basic needs to survive. Therefore, increasing the minimum wage is not a viable option because it will only make the situation of workers worse