NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, hopes to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2019 to help families raise their standard of living (“Tom Mulcair”). However, an increase in minimum wage will likely cause a decrease in demand for minimum wage workers, resulting in greater unemployment and a decrease in the number of small businesses, which cannot afford to pay the workers such an increase. Minimum wage jobs are best suited for youths or teenagers due to its pay rate. Specialization programs and the creation of more jobs for adults with higher education are a more effective substitute than raising minimum wage.
However, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, “Almost half of all recent college graduates are working at jobs that don’t require a bachelor’s degree” (Weiner). Weiner suggests that the possible reason why college graduates are underemployed is either they under-educated or their college-earned skills do not match the demand of employers (Weiner). The latter argument suggests that those who graduate with degrees similar to psychology or philosophy, which are perhaps less pragmatic than science or engineering, have a more difficult time getting a job (Weiner).
Nonetheless, professionals which revolve around more theoretical subjects do exist, yet are more presently found beyond a four year degree. It would appear that a large percentage of jobs either do not require a bachelor’s degree or require education beyond an undergraduate degree. However, the high cost of tuition can make the road to graduate studies difficult. Government should focus more on subsidizing education, companies could open more internship or paid positions for college students.
Works Cited
“Tom Mulcair Says He Will Propose $15 Federal Minimum Wage.” CBCNews. CBC, 13 Sept.
2014. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tom-mulcair-says-he-
will-propose-15-federal-minimum-wage-1.2765515>.
Weiner, Joann. “Why Sally Can’t Get A Good Job With Her College Degree.” The Washington
Post. The Washington Post, 5 Sept. 2014. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. <http://
www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2014/09/05/why-sally-cant-get-a-
good-job-with-her-college-degree/>.