A common rite of passage for high school students is to get a job. It is hard to find someone who doesn’t know someone who is employed. Whether a student works part time, or manages to work nearly full time if they are in co-op, a class designated for teenagers in school to gain access to leave early to work more hours in at their place of work, kids should get paid more. Minimum wage is too low in the state of Texas.

In January 2018, 18 states increased their minimum wage, realizing teenagers and adults could not afford what they needed on low hourly wages.Texas was not one of the states to increase their minimum wage, and it has kept the wage at $7.25 as of 2008. This is too low for everyone, not just kids.

First, there are people trying to make a living off of this low income. Whether it be someone elder working after retirement or just a young adult first introduced to the real world, there are people who are relying on the little money they make. 

Second, some kids have responsibilities. Paying for gas, food and the few who make car payments or have to pay insurance are under stress when they feel obligated to put in more hours.

Lastly, working more takes time away from what’s most important, school. With the unnecessary obligation to work more hours just to make enough to pay for what we, students, feel are necessities, there is little to no time left for homework.  

Some may say it’s not the government’s place to enforce payment regulations on state level companies or jobs that don’t pertain to out of state travel. Less people would be employed if more people were given raises. However, if there are places like Whataburger offering some kids $11/hour, then why shouldn’t most fast food places follow suit? And if a teenager is doing the same as someone who is 30, both should make the same. It’s unfair to treat kids like kids when paying them and then to treat them like adults when working them.

It’s understandable that some don’t deserve a higher pay. Nevertheless, that should be the employers’ place to decide whether people should make more. It’s just that $7.25 is what is too little.

Minimum wage in Texas should increase to at least $8.50 for the sake of working high school and college students and adults. Of the many states that made changes, Texas should be one of them.