Global Societal Problem, Argument and Solution- READ NOTES IN RED! IMPORTANT

Annotated Bibliography

Christopher Malone

GEN 499

Instructor: Janet Schriver

11/14/16

Minimum wage

Introduction

Many organizations have found themselves on the wrong side of the law for not obeying the set rules and regulations regarding the minimum wage. Governments, on the other hand, have found themselves in conflict with the citizens for not considering the minimum wages while paying some of the employees in some sectors. However, with all the conflicts and misunderstandings, the push for a uniform minimum wage is still going on. Setting the minimum wage goes a long way in protecting the employees from employers’ exploitation. The minimum wage simply states an employee should receive benefits after offering his or her services to the company. Some employers are trustworthy and would not violate the rights of their employees. On the other hand, some organizations would take advantage of any independent sector and try to exploit their employees. There should be a set and fixed percentage of the lowest pay that an employee should be given to ensure that employees benefit from the work of their hands.

Cunningham, W. (2007). Minimum Wages and Social Policies: Lessons for Developing Countries. Boston: Cencage Learning.

Most of the developing countries have not done enough in ensuring that there is fairness in the employment sector. The main reason why the author wrote the book was to offer guidelines to the developing countries on how to implement policies that are related to the minimum wage. The author has given examples of some of the developed countries like the United States, England, Canada, and Germany. To prove that his information is reliable, the author has quoted some of the policies in the most developed countries which might be helpful to the developing countries. The book has emphasized the need for all nations to implement policies that will benefit the employees and ensure that the employers are not oppressed as well. Many books about minimum wage concentrate on the effects and consequences of not having a minimum wage in the employment sector. The case is different to this book; the author has provided a map on how to draft and implement an effective minimum wage policy.

International Labor Office. (2005). The Fundamentals of Minimum Wage Fixing. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

Many nations have been faced with the problem of fixing a minimum wage. According to the author, fixing of the minimum wage is confronted with a lot of challenges and politics is one of them. The author has stated that if a nation is interested in ensuring that its citizens are not oppressed by the employers, the issue of a minimum wage should not be politicized but rather should be a development agenda. The book has stated the effects of failing to fix a minimum wage in any given nation. Some of the effects as stated are exploitation from the employers and promotion of migration. According to the author, a nation that does not have a minimum wage policy is likely to suffer. In the last few years, most people have been traveling across the border in search of jobs. Apart from highlighting the effects of failing to fix the minimum wage, the book has also advised the nations that want to attract more laborers to have favorable minimum wage policies.

Kosters, M. (2006). The Effects of Minimum Wage on Employment. Washington, DC: American Enterprise Institute.

Kosters has stated that just like any other policy, a minimum wage policy is likely to have its fair share of disadvantages. Many employers have been against the implementation of minimum wage policies, and they have their reasons to do so. The minimum wage has an effect on the employment sector. However, the author has stated that it all depends on the policies in place. The author has ruled out the possibility of any nation to try to ignore to implement the minimum wage policy due to the effects it might have on employment. Some employers have argued that minimum wage would discourage them from recruiting many employees. However, the argument is valid to some extent. The book is reliable because it does not only look at the positive side of a minimum wage, but it also focuses on the downside as well. Despite the adverse effects of minimum wage, the author has concluded by stating that for any economy to grow and for the employees to benefit from the growth, policies championing for minimum wage should be in place.

Card, D. (2005). Myth and Measurement: The New Economics of the Minimum Wage. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

“Myth and Measurement” is one of the controversial books that talk about the minimum wage. The author has stated that economists know very little about minimum wage. In his argument, the author has indicated that despite economists talking about how minimum wage can affect employment, they have failed to look at the effects that come along with the lack of minimum wage policies in a nation. According to Card, most of the developed countries have minimum wage policies in place and despite that, people from outside are flocking in such countries looking for employment. To create a clear picture, the author has asked why the most developed countries have biggest numbers of foreign employees compared to the developing countries. The information available in the book is reliable, the author has stated facts about minimum wage and he has given examples that one can relate to. The book has focused on my topic of research, and it has enlightened me in some ways.

Wascher, W. (2008). Minimum Wages. Cambridge: The MIT Press.

Many countries have been in a dilemma on the best minimum wage percentages. The author has given an insight of how a minimum wage should look like. In the book, the minimum wage should not be too high for the employers, and at the same time, it should not be too low for the employees. According to the author, any nation that is interested in implementing the minimum wage should first take a look at the economy. There is a need for the minimum wage to benefit all parties involved.

The book has provided me with materials that will benefit my research. Some facts have not been mentioned in other books, but the author has stated them in this book. For example, many books have not associated the fixing of the minimum wage with the economy of the given country. The book is reliable because it is not biased; the author has touched on both sides of implementing minimum wage policies.