How much is the living wage in the Philippines?

Please provide economic and policy arguments for and against nationwide adoption of a so-called "living wage."

• The U.S. currently has in place a nationwide minimum wage which guarantees most unskilled labor currently $5.15 per hour. Many states and/or cities with higher costs of living have a somewhat higher minimum wage. Social activists are lobbying for adoption of a living wage which, unlike the current minimum wage policies, is supposed to give unskilled workers a better opportunity to live above the poverty line. Please give me your best arguments for or against implementing a living wage policy in place of the minimum wage laws.

• Answer:

  The biggest losers when Living Wage laws are implemented are often the ones who are supposed to benefit. This is because employers are forced by such laws to decide whether the affected employees are actually worth the extra money, and if they aren't then they lose their jobs. And the folks who disproportionately hold minimum wage jobs are immigrants and teenagers. For immigrants this forces them to find work that is often off the books and outside the protections of labor law. Teenagers are also penalized by not getting that important experience that first jobs afford. This has repercussions later in life, since future jobs and salary are contingent on experience. Black male teenagers are the most affected. In addition to the discrimination and unemployment that living wage laws engender, there is also the fact that such laws actually contribute to skyrocketing cost-of-living. Think about it, if you are a small business owner who is forced to pay all your employees $10/hour then you are going to raise your prices to cover your cost.