Minimum Wage Went up Bringing Students More Money in Their Pockets

     President-elect Joe Biden issued an economic stimulus package on Jan. 14, which included a proposal to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, although it is uncertain whether that proposal would become law. What is certain is that California minimum wage went up by a dollar. 

    Ridgeview High School has a few students that work and have been helped by this increase of minimum wage. Loren Merez is a Senior currently 17-years-old and has been working At Burger King she became one of the head managers with only having been working there for a little over a year. In the beginning of this job Merez was making $12 an hour according to Merez with this change “ It does affect my paycheck because it’s a drastic difference because in a year I went to a $3 raise with overtime pay”. With this said change of $ 3 it’s been both a positive and negative impact on Merez she says, “It has changed in both ways, taxes will obviously be a huge pain for me personally because I did earn a lot for a 17-year-old, but the pay has also helped me because of all the bills”. It’s not a drastic change but it does help in ways, “I find it a lot easier because the amount of money I use to get with each check a year ago would be two weeks’ worth of work,” is what Merez has stated. Overall, it has been a good outcome for Merez this year. 

     Lliana Solis  is a senior who has been working at Marshalls for three months now she does cashier work, cleaning services along with assisting customers. In the beginning Solis was making $13 an hour, Solis states that with this change, “Not really because I get paid weekly, so I get around the same amount plus a few extra dollars. The bad thing is a chunk of my paycheck always goes to taxes so I’m never getting paid the full amount.” Solis finds it the same to purchase items there’s not much of a difference with said change and she states  “California is so expensive it’s still not enough for people that are having to live on their own going from check to check. I’m lucky that I still live with my parents, but it’s going to take some serious saving to continue to live in California on my own”. 

    The new Minimum wage change in California has good outcomes even with such little change it can very well help students/teenagers of today. Many teens and students work to help families and with this change they get a little extra help which is absolutely amazing.