Female Restaurant Workers Face Harsh Working Conditions

Female waitresses or servers making money though tips outnumber male waiters or servers by a 2-to-1 ratio.  Tipped workers have a fixed minimum wage of $2.13/hour with the rest supposedly coming though tips.  Employers are supposed to make sure they get the minimum wage of $7.25/hour when they do not get enough tips, but too often fail to do so.  The workforce percentage of women in the restaurant industry is 52%, which means men are guaranteed more stable wages.  It also gives them higher pay at $25,000 annually versus $17,000 for women. 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/02/19/1064413/-Restaurant-industry-screws-women-while-2-13-tipped-worker-minimum-wage-makes-it-worse?detail=hide&via=blog_1

Long-Term Unemployment Boosting Jobless Rate (For 2/19/12)

Those who have been unemployed for a long time have actually boosted the unemployment rate due to the stigma associated with it and skill erosion. The lack of jobs has produced a huge number of long-term unemployed. Employers have engaged in discrimination against unemployed job candidates. The Obama Administration and Congrssional Democrats have sought to outlaw this practice. Congress adds to the poor image of the unemployed by including proposals allowing drug testing of the unemployed by those states that want to do this. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/17/unemployment-long-term-unemployment-cbo_n_1284202.html?ref=business

San Francisco 1st American City With $10/Hr Minimum Wage (1/3/12)

Ten dollars per hour is not a lot live on, and this would therefore make a decent minimum wage as opposed to the current minimum wage of $7.25/hour. Despite employer opposition, San Francisco's minimum wage rose to $10.24 per hour starting this year. Many studies show that a higher minimum wage helps retain workers and cut down on employee turnover-related costs, such as recruitment and training. They also show that it does not really hurt overall employment. If San Francisco is the first city to do this, will other American cities be smart enough to follow? http://www.alternet.org/economy/153620/san_francisco_becomes_first_in_nation_with_%2410_minimum_wage_%28and_the_sky_isn%27t_going_to_fall%29?page=entire