welfare vs wages

[Danzig]

except minimum wage used to mean people were earning enough to be above the poverty line. that's no longer true. why? that's why i wonder if, as the govt started showing a willingness to pick up slack, that helps explain why businesses aren't willing to pay as much...something explains why wages haven't kept pace with the economy. lower skilled, yes. in an industry many use. at the very least, these workers should be able to make a decnt living. they used to in those jobs, and the skill level is the same.