Quote Originally Posted by Kagemusha
In where i come from the minimum wage is calculated from the living cost index.After the taxes you should be able to provide the basics for yourself with it.But i know its entirely different coulture and economic model.
Actually this sounds in practice like a decent system in which to evaluate if the wages being paid to the worker to insure that the individual will be at least able to survive on the wages being paid.

I don't necessarily agree with a mandatory minimum wage imposed on the employer by the Federal Government. I do think however that it is a necessary function of the government to evaluate the wages of the region to advise the employer's what would consitute a living wage for the workers of that area.

Then it would be up to the employer to decide what the demand and supply of labor is for their particular area. A good employer who wants to maintain a trained workforce will pay his employee's enough of a wage that they can live on that wage, and that he has an employeer can maintain his profit margin.

In all but a few sectors it costs more to train new employees then it does to pay a living wage that will satify the workforce and still maintain the profit margin for the company. In the areas that do not need a skilled workforce the bottom rung of the workforce will be subject to poor wages, minimum hours of work, (to defeat other requirements imposed on the employer by the government) and a high turnover of employees is the result of this practice, all in order for the employeer to increase his profit marigin.

A minimum wage is frankly a necessary evil for the government to impose on the employeers based upon the past abuses of the workforce by employeers.