If an 18 year old out of high school can't afford to live SELF SUFFICIENT and INDEPENDEN of family or roommates at:

40 work hours a week 163 work hours a month 1,956 work hours a year at the rate of minimum wage after taxes?

The state and or regional minimum wage is too low.

REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT MAY BE.

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thisguy20 · 41-45, M

One could argue that is not an issue of the minimum wage being too low; but an issue of housing, transportation, insurance, and healthcare costs being too high.

SomeMichGuy · M

@thisguy20 Good point.

But wages have largely stagnated for decades, though there were gains in real income during Biden's term (in spite of inflation).

So I think it's mixed, but with flat wages (= decreasing REAL wages!) and prices increasing due to lack of competition hurting us.