What Does 'Minimum Wage' Mean to You?

The latest battle in the fight over a minimum wage salary isn't how much it should climb, but whether minimum wage workers need a raise at all.

In Virginia, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ed Gillespie claimed to a group of supporters earlier this week that a lot of minimum wage earners are first-time workers just learning to get to work on time.

"It’s where you learn the social aspects of work," Gillespie said in a YouTube video released by Democratic opponents. "It’s where you play on the work softball team or go out for a beer after work. You know, we want to foster that and incentive work in this country."

Gillespie argues increasing the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour would reduce the number of these first-time jobs.

What does the minimum wage mean to you? Tell us in the comments section below.

Last month, it was the private sector making headlines in the minimum wage debate, as Ikea announced it will increase its minimum wage based on MIT's Living Wage Calculator.

That would put the furniture store's average minimum wage at $10.76 an hour, but the company notes the minimum wage will go over $13 an hour in some markets, including at the store in Woodbridge, Va.

Rob Olson, Ikea’s acting president for the United States and its chief financial officer, said the move is about improving the lives of employees.

“We are of course investing in our co-workers," Olson told The New York Times. "We believe they will invest in our customers, and they will invest in Ikea’s stores." 

What does the minimum wage mean to you? Tell us in the comments section below.