Over the past four years, Florida has cut its unemployment rate in half. In 2010 the unemployment rate was 11.4%; Florida's unemployment rate was 6.1% in January (Statistics 1). In this research paper I will explain why raising the minimum wage will cost society more than it earns in the long run. While many people are happy about wanting to raise the minimum wage, many more people are highly enraged by the concept behind it. most people questioned the idea behind it. For example; if the minimum wage increases, what else will increase in prices? Or what prices drop? Will the unfortunate, help-needy people who receive food stamps and WIC still receive the amount they receive, or will they receive less? Will they get more? Will businesses let go of more people because of labor costs? I will show my research behind every question that came to mind and every aspect behind raising the minimum wage. Have you ever thought about how fast food restaurants keep their food so cheap? The current wage at a fast food restaurant, such as McDonald's, is $7.25 per hour (Kim 1). If wages are as cheap as a Big Mac, how can you keep wages high but prices low? When it costs a company more to pay the employee than it can get from a paying customer, the price of the purchased item must increase or it must eliminate the high cost. What would the partner be? Which then brings us back to the unemployment rate. According to the Huffington Post, if the minimum wage increases, the price of a big mac at McDonald's could go from $5.69 plus tax to $6.66 plus tax, and the dollar menu could go from $1 plus tax to $1. $.17 plus tax. If prices at McDonald's have the ability to increase, how much would you thin... middle of paper... I'm about to increase. It's like climbing a ladder. Sooner or later you will be higher, your fear will increase and the ceiling will seem lower. It's the same when you raise the minimum wage. Wages are expected to rise, the cost of goods will increase and the unemployment rate will increase. Works Cited Fairchild, Caroline. “Errors in McDonald's Salary Analysis.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, July 29, 2013. Web. March 24, 2014. Fox, Emily J. “States Don't Wait for Congress on Minimum Wage Raises.” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, March 6, 2014. Web. March 24, 2014. Kim, Susanna. “The price of the Big Mac could increase by 68 cents if the minimum wage doubled.” ABC News. ABC News Network, July 31, 2013. Web. March 24, 2014. Statistics, U.S. Department. "Databases, tables and calculators by topic." Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Department of Statistics, n.d. Web. March 24. 2014