Minimum Wage News
Reports on wage policy, business impact, and labor market debates. The Daily Signal includes conservative commentary and opinion on minimum wage issues.
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Hiking the Minimum Wage Will Hurt, Not Help, Low-Income Americans
Democrats in Congress have again brought the minimum wage to the national political stage. Legislation moving forward in the House, H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act, would increase the national minimum wage from the current $7.25 per hour to $15 per hour in increments spanning the next five years. The minimum wage is a…Star Parker -
Podcast: What’s Wrong With the $15 Minimum Wage?
House Democrats are poised to pass a $15 minimum wage this week—a policy that’s become more and more mainstream within the Democratic Party. But would it actually help workers? What effect would it have on the economy? And what effect has it already had in places where it’s been tried? We ask those questions and…Katrina Trinko -
Here Are 6 Ways a New Report Devastates the $15 Minimum Wage
Just in time for next week’s likely House vote on a federal $15 minimum wage, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has come out with a caustic report on the consequences of the policy. The report confirms what even liberal economists caution: A $15 minimum wage would “risk undesirable and unintended consequences” and lead to a…Rachel Greszler -
A Higher Minimum Wage Fails in California
Issues such as job losses and automation have become concerns for the American people as technology transforms our economy. Some have proposed universal basic income and other policies to salve these problems, but they risk sapping the dignity of work and creating a kind of bifurcated warehouse society with huge numbers of people barely skating…Jarrett Stepman -
Small Business Owners Praise Tax Cuts, but Raise Concerns Over Potential Minimum Wage Hike
Small business owners voiced concerns over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s plan to repeal the Trump administration’s 2017 tax cuts and double the national minimum wage to $15 an hour in a media call with Job Creators Network Thursday. “The climate for small business owners have never been better,” said Job Creators Network CEO Alfredo Ortiz,…Joshua Q. Nelson -
We Hear You: Socialism, Sweden, Minimum Wage, and Obamacare
Young Americans' affection for socialism and other government-run or mandated aspects of life stirs vocal opinions from The Daily Signal's audience. Here is a sampling. Write us at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: It is difficult to compare the U.S. to any of the Nordic countries, is my thought on John Stossel’s commentary headlined “Sweden…Ken McIntyre -
Seattle Couple Fears $16 Minimum Wage Could Doom Subway Franchise
When Heidi Mann and her husband Karam took a leap of faith 15 years ago and purchased a Subway franchise in Seattle, they had no idea that one day their dreams could be shattered by the city’s required increases in the minimum wage. Nine years later, the Manns bought a second Subway sandwich shop in…Ginny Montalbano -
Lawmakers Are Pushing a $15 Minimum Wage. Here Are 3 Disastrous Consequences That Would Result.
House Democrats are looking to double the minimum wage, with little eye to the consequences. Led by Virginia Democrat Bobby Scott, House Democrats introduced the Raise the Wage Act, which would more than double the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 per hour by the year 2024. Democratic lawmakers have long been in favor…Rachel Greszler -
Owner of Historic Boston Restaurant Says Minimum Wage Hikes Hastened Its Demise
Durgin-Park, a renowned Boston restaurant, has been around for a long time. It opened in 1827, when Massachusetts’ own John Quincy Adams was president of the United States. Phil Klein of the Washington Examiner wrote: “The restaurant, located in Boston’s Faneuil Hall, was an institution and tourist attraction, serving New England staples, such as chowder, shepherd’s…Jarrett Stepman -
3 Reasons to Celebrate Amazon’s $15 Minimum Wage, and 3 Reasons to Fear a $15 Federal Minimum Wage
Workers at an Amazon fulfillment center in South Carolina erupted in cheers and high fives when the news broke that Amazon is raising its minimum wage to $15 per hour. Those cheers would have ceased, however, had the company then divided workers into two groups—those receiving pay increases and those receiving pink slips. That would…Rachel Greszler -
Highest Minimum Wage in the US Will Hit $19 an Hour
The commissioners of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey voted unanimously Thursday to raise the minimum wage of workers at three airports to $19 an hour by 2023, the highest government mandated minimum wage in the U.S. The decision will affect roughly 40,000 workers and airline companies operating at La Guardia Airport…Tim Pearce -
New Minimum Wage Law Puts DC Restaurants in a Bind
If a 10 percent tax on restaurant meals wasn’t enough to jack up the cost of dining in Washington, D.C., city residents just voted for a 275 percent increase in the minimum wage for tipped workers. Currently, the minimum wage for workers who also receive tips is $3.33 an hour in the district. Initiative 77,…Rachel Greszler -
New Study Shows Minimum Wage Puts a Damper on Long-Run Earnings
Economic studies consistently show that higher minimum wages lead to higher unemployment, particularly among teenagers. But that’s a consequence minimum wage advocates have been willing to accept in exchange for higher incomes for minimum wage workers who keep their jobs. It turns out, however, that higher minimum wages actually reduced the long-run earnings of teenagers…Rachel Greszler -
Minimum Wage Hike Is Killing Jobs in This Arizona City
Although the Great Recession ended nearly eight years ago, wages have not taken off as in previous recoveries. The sluggish growth in wage rates has sparked calls at the federal, state, and local levels to raise minimum wages. But such top-down, one-size-fits-all government mandates have a sad history of producing unintended consequences—lost jobs, fewer work…Elliott Raia -
I’m a Small Business Owner. Raising the Minimum Wage Would Hurt My Employees.
A liberal group in my home state of Virginia recently called on the Virginia General Assembly to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour. This call is not unique to Virginia. The “Fight for $15” campaign is spreading throughout the country at a rapid rate and needs to be stopped. The misguided campaign says it…John Sims -
Raising the Minimum Wage Hurts Teen, Young Adult Employment Rates, Study Finds
A new study shows that raising the minimum wage has played a role in the decline of teen employment and the labor force participation rate, which has fallen by about half since 1994. The study, conducted by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, examined three possible factors to explain why teen employment has declined…Kyle Perisic -
Wal-Mart Announces Higher Minimum Wage and Bonuses, Citing Trump Tax Cuts
Wal-Mart announced Thursday it will raise its starting wage to $11 per hour and will give employees a bonus of up to $1,000, crediting the tax cuts signed into law Dec. 22 by President Donald Trump. Wal-Mart President and CEO Doug McMillon said in a statement the retail giant was “pleased” to announce the wage…Kyle Perisic -
Higher Minimum Wage Laws Might Make You Sick
This news may not sit well with hipster foodies in the Pacific Northwest. In a classic case of good intentions paving the way to hell, it appears that minimum wage increases might be bad for your health. A recently released study on the impact of minimum wage increases in Seattle showed a corresponding uptick in…Jarrett Stepman -
$15 Minimum Wage Would Wreak Havoc on One of America’s Richest Counties
Montgomery County, Maryland, would have passed a $15 minimum wage if is wasn’t for County Executive Ike Leggett. Leggett, a Democrat, openly supports increasing the minimum wage. But when the county legislature narrowly approved a minimum wage hike last December, Leggett decided to veto it. The 30 percent minimum wage increase had passed by a…Rachel Greszler -
Emails Show Seattle Mayor’s Office Manipulated a Minimum Wage Study for Political Benefit
The Seattle mayor’s office coordinated with a University of California, Berkeley economist to manipulate a study on the effects of a $15 minimum wage for maximum political benefit, according to emails obtained by the Employment Policies Institute. A staffer for Democratic Mayor Ed Murray reached out to the university's economics department asking it to rush the release of a study, released in…Jack Crowe