Since she started working at her current job at the Friendship Factory in July, senior Cara Kaslatas has experienced many pay changes. The current set minimum wage rate is $10.56 an hour, according to the United States Department of Labor. However, it is set to increase to $12.48 per hour for adults as a result of a state-mandated wage, taking effect on Feb. 21st.
According to Kaslatas, the minimum wage increase could help motivate teens to work despite not being able to commit full-time. For Kaslatas, this means she can balance all of her activities more effectively while still having a stable source of income.
“I believe that the current minimum wage is unfair for students, seeing as there are a lot of factors that you have to take into place,” Kaslatas said. “This isn’t a job where someone can take an 8 hour shift on a regular basis. Because of sports and school-related activities, you can’t work as often.”
Similarly, as someone who worked three minimum wage jobs as a high school student, class of 2023 graduate Grace Rossman also believes that greater pay could allow high school students to get paid based on their job requirements and effort.
“My first job was when I was under 18,” Rossman said. “There, I got paid the minimum wage rate for minors, which was $8.50 at the time. The same work was required of all employees at that job, both above and below 18 years old, so I do not believe that a pay of $8.50 was appropriate. My pay was not a reflection of my employers or the business, but rather, it brings into question the Michigan law in which minors can legally be paid 85% of the minimum wage.”
Though acknowledging the benefits a wage increase could bring to students, Kaslatas highlights the complex nature of the state mandate from an economic standpoint.
“The increase could cause job loss because small businesses are unable to pay their employees which could lead to a shut down of small businesses,” Kaslatas said. “With small businesses shutting down, it will also lead to increased unemployment, reduced consumer spending, stifled innovations and a weaker local community.”
As someone who works with students who are being paid minimum wage, Scott Sowers, a Co-Op Coordinator in the district, believes that this change could help benefit the students that he works with and provide some support to individuals dependent on it, though there is still work to be done.
“I would say for students, it’s a good entry-level wage, as long as they’re working part-time jobs that are necessary to support our economy,” Sowers said. “They should not be wages used for full-time employment and that of the head of a household. I would never be able to afford to keep my home, to raise my family, to do any of the things that I need to do in order to sustain my life week to week.”
Hoping that the wage increase can inspire students to begin working part-time, Rossman believes that this is a critical step forward and can allow students to develop new skills.
“High school is a time for students to first join and explore the workforce, and for many, it is the first time they can earn their own money,” Rossman said. “Despite being young, high school students deserve to be paid well, and the work they are doing is still important. This increase will hopefully encourage high school students to join the workforce — working as a teenager teaches valuable life skills that cannot be taught in school, such as responsibility, teamwork, accountability, communication, and problem-solving.”
