사회복지정책에서 최저임금과 생활임금의 의의에 관한 탐색적 연구

The minimum wage is economic and social policy to ensure a decent life for low-paid workers and to prevent them from poverty. However, the minimum wage became the lowest wages in the labor market, then the original purpose of the introduction was evaporated and working-poverty problems became more serious. A living wage has emerged as an alternative to the minimum wage. As a minimum demand of distributive justice in the capitalist labor market, a living wage is a basic device to escape from social assistance and enjoy a decent life for low-paid workers and their families. If the living wage is not guaranteed in the labor market, political and economic basis of the welfare state will be greatly compromised as well as social assistance costs will be increased. Futhermore, citizenship of the working poor would be weakened. Therefore, the appropriate level of the minimum wage or acceptance of living wage is essential to social policy forward to the Integrated Welfare State (IWS), which economic policy and social policy are not separated but integrated for achieving social goals. Also it will contribute to overcome the concept of social rights that are recognized to divided from the market and will be a strong economic base for consolidating the social rights in the private sector, including the market as well as the public sector.