Wages In Texas-Can We Survive A Recession?

The questions continue, no matter what you do for a living or what part of the Permian Basin you live in... The minimum wage in Texas is $7.25 per hour. Is that enough for a family or even an individual to survive on even at 40 hours a week? Should it be raised? If it should be raised--to what? And the arguments come from all sides on this one: If you're a business owner--raising it will make you have to downsize to fewer employees or, in some cases--close altogether; if you're a worker whose wages are in that range and you're trying to make ends meet--you're looking for help and a way to make life easier and better for you and your family.

Many fast food chains have been forced to downsize their workforce nationwide and install electronic kiosks for customers to place their orders with instead of an actual person. Some have offered a starting wage higher than minimum wage to lure new workers to either change jobs or begin their working years by earning a better wage.

No matter which side of the fence you're on-I think the only people allowed to voice an opinion on this topic are the ones who live in that world on a daily basis. If you don't own a business, don't pay employees, if you're not a worker who earns this wage or close to it--then you don't understand what it's like to be on either side of this coin.

Then there are those who say, "Should there even BE a minimum wage?". Opinions on the subject are plentiful and passionate.