“Minimum wage is not relevant to anything. You are worth what you bring to the workplace. If I choose to have a starting wage of $2.50 per hour and no one applies I will have to raise the wage until I get to a number where I have sufficient applicants to fill the openings. Minimum wage jobs are entry level, they are not now or ever have been intended to support a family on. They are intended for youth as a learning foundation of what is needed regarding job skills, attitude, commitments, work ethic etc. to move to the levels above. Case in point - If I owned a McDonalds franchise I would pay very well, say $17.00 per hour to start. That would provide applicants to select from that were way beyond min wage status. A store typically needs upwards of 60 part time people to fully staff a location. A higher starting wage would allow me to staff with probably 20 people. All related employee costs would shrink and customer service would be outstanding. The job would be hard to replace and thus deemed of high value by workers. It would however eliminate most school kids.”