Would an increase in min. wage create employment growth?
438990
It is very unlikely that an increase in minimum wage would create employment growth.  Labor is subject to the same supply and demand equation as any other commodity.  Raise the price of labor, lower the demand.  One would ordinarily expect an increase in minimum wage to result in a decrease in employment, especially among the least paid workers.
522894
Try asking what is the impact of an increase in the minimum wage on the availability of entry level positions and total wages paid to those who fill those positions?  You might also ask what the anticipated reaction of job-providers would be?  \n\nI don't know if you'll get the correct answer here, but I suspect that many would be surprised to know the real (measured) impact. \n\nHint:  Imagine your reaction if you owned a business employing 50 minimum wage employees and the mandated wage goes up by 20%.  Would you:\n\na.  Knuckle under, pay the higher wage, maintain your prices and make less profit?\n\nb.  Pay the higher wage, raise prices to compensate and hope that your competition doesn't transfer jobs to China?\n\nc.  Hire undocumented workers for less than the minimum wage and hope you don't get caught? \n\nd.  Lay off 20% of your workforce and try to squeeze more output out of the remaining 40 employees?\n\ne.  Follow the competition and transfer your jobs to China? \n\nWhich of these possible "solutions" is best for the U.S. economy and labor market?
135703
One would want an instant increase on the paycheck but thats not how it works. Continuing increase of productivity though, in the long-term will have as a result an increase of responsibilities from your employer (has more trust in you), and after that, a raise and maybe a promotion.
330801
Do people buying things help the economy?\nDo companies do well when their products/services are purchased?\nDo people spend money?\nRaise the salaries and people will spend. They can't spend what they don't have. If the minimum wage was raised enough the economy would boom.
1095836
Probably not the exact answer, but I would guess that GDP would increase slightly.  One method of calculation is spending, which would appear to go up, but these additional transactions would decline because some of the advantages (no taxes) would disappear so the demand for these types of transactions would go down.  But the industry as a whole would survive to a certain extent as a regulated industry.
797945
The price of goods are increasing steadily without a minimum wage increase.  If it cost $4 for a gallon of milk and the minimum wage is $5.15 then, yes, I think the minimum wage increase would help those people making minimum wage.  Oh, and it's not just teenagers making minimum wage. \n\nHere's an except from an article on the people making minimum wage. \n\n"One reason even some Republicans are mulling the wage hike is that the number of single mothers making minimum wage has nearly doubled in the last 10 years. Of Americans making less than $7.25 an hour, half are over 24 years old, and about half are primary household earners. Sixty-two percent are white, 16 percent are black, and 17 percent are Hispanic. Nearly twice as many are women than men.
1109800
The reason intelligent people are against the raising of minimum wage(or min wage all together), is because when you raise the minimum hiring wage you force the business owners to take the blow to their profits, which they are not going to do.  \nYou not only have to pay the basic unskilled worker coming in the door more per hour but by nature all skilled workers are going to want a raise by equal increments.  \nNot to mention the  price of ever day good will go up.  Your hamburger at McDonald's will be $10(exaggerated a little)\nThis is a political trick usually by Democrats to "buy" votes from the poor and uninformed.  It sound good to raise wages, but it doesn't work.  The free market should decide what a good wage for a good job is.
860256
Of course this sounds like a good idea - when does not making more money not sound like a good idea? Only thing is, with employers having to jump minimum to $7.25, we'll end up seeing the results in higher product and living costs so minimum wage earners are back to not making enough for living expenses.
969710
what good does the increase in min wage do?  the cost will be passed on to the consumers which puts the people back in min wage in the same boat.  I agree raises for govt is wrong but the whole Idea of min wage is outdated.  Simple economics shows this is a sick cycle that has to stop.
1065356
Price Stability (Low Inflation)\n\nIf wages go up then you cannot hire too many workers.\n\nExample:\nIf today Congress passed a new Bill to lower the Minimum Wage to $3.15 then most companies could hire almost twice the number of workers they now have and that would reduce unemployent.\nThat law is never going to be proposed by any Congressman because it would not be popular and that would cost him the election. Despite the fact, low unemployment is good for everyone it also causes less Crime and more Profits.\n\nOn the other hand, if the minimum wage is changed to $10.30 per hour then most companies would have to fire half the employees to make the same profits and that would increase unemployment and crime.\nIf a Congressman proposes that law it will be very popular and it will probably will give him an election. \nYes, the more damage you make the more popular you are.\n\nHigh wages cause inflation.\n\nIn the United States of America the wages are the highest in the world and that is eventually is going to cost millions of jobs.\n\nSince 1994 companies have been moving out of the United States of America to Mexico, China and India.\n\nThat trend cannot be reversed unless you bring the mexicans to the United States of America (As opposed to send the factories to Mexico)\n\nIn a company moves to Mexico not only employment is reduced but also taxes and if you are unemployed you cannot spend too much money.\n\nIn fact, Mexico is now the 12th richest country in the World because of this.
490542
Would everyone like to earn more money?  Sure thing, from that standpoint it sounds great.\n\nBut the problem is this, when you raise the minimum wage, prices will go up in the market, reducing the effect of the wage increase.  Job availibily will go down, because the USA will become less competitive on the international market from a price standpoint.  The same people who received the "raise" will have the highest potential to lose their job.\n\nIf you look at the minimum wage as what you're going to earn, then you need to wake up, start learning some new things, find a new way to earn, find a better job, do something different.\n\nIf you're living in the USA and making minimum wage, it's your choice, opportunity is available, you just have to pursue it everyday!!
140
Yes, not any time soon, but expect the trend to increase as companies find ways to reduce costs. Get into management and your job will be saved.
452667
There's really no such thing (unless you are talking about the federal minimum wage, which is, I believe, $5.15/hour).  The market determines the wages, which can fluctuate widely depending upon specialization, employer, and area of the country.
895990
Raising the minimum wage will not improve anyone's quality of life.  Ohio just raised theirs.  Know what happened?  A huge nat'l pizza chain raised their pizza prices by $1 exactly, every single pizza.  Increasing the minimum wage will do nothing.  It's symptomatic of the democratic view.  People look to the gov't to improve their lot in life instead of doing it on their own.\n\nTo achieve those things you mentioned, we need our manufacturing jobs back.
283333
Minimum wage is not necessarily a bad thing. Imagine if you will, what would happen if there were no minimum wage. There are a number of companies today that pay there entry level employees minimum wage. (Usual manual labor or low skill level jobs) If there were no minimum wage, these companies would pay their employees less. If minimum wage is currently $5.15/hr I believe. So am employee making minimum wage works 50 hors per week, that's 40 regular hours at $5.15 ($206.00) and 10 over time at $7.725 ($77.25) per hour, then they would earn $283.25 pre week. That's about $1,133.00 per month. Depending on where you live, that's the coast of an apartment... In some places, it not enough for an apartment. Since I live in Central Delaware, let me us this local as an example. \nIncome: $1,133 /mo\nTaxes:  $113.00 / mo (10% based on regular hours)\nStarting Cash: $1,000.00\nCheep, run down one bedroom apartment:  $500.00 /mo\nCar insurance of an old car:                       $ 65.00 /mo\nElectric, assuming low usage:                     $ 65.00 /mo\nHome Phone, assuming no extras               $ 35.00 /mo\nFuel for Car, assuming used for work only   $ 60.00 /mo\nGroceries fro one Assuming frugality           $250.00 /mo\nTOTAL:                                                    $975.00 /mo\nRemainder: (For emergencies, savings, \nRecreation, etc...)                                     $ 25.00 /mo\n\nGranted, that at the end of the year, this person would receive a tax refund of about $5,891.60, but that doesn’t help this person on a daily bases the rest of the year. \n\nNow, consider that these same companies provide an average of a 6% raise per year. (The nation average last Time I checked was just over 3% but I'm trying to make a point) After the employees first year with the company, they would be earning 1,200.98 per month. After 5 years, they would be earning 1516.21 per month. Assuming that the cost of living went up only 2% each year, below the national average I might add, after five years, the employee in question would now have an amazing $436.42 per month unaccounted for. This means that this person could now get basic cable, purchase better groceries. (I'm q single guy and I shop fairly conservatively and I still spend nearly 350 per month on groceries and things for the apartment.) If you include this basic changes to his life style, this employee, after 5 years of working hard would have less then 286.42 per month for things other then daily living. This does not include many of the normal things most Americans enjoy such as a cell phone, internet access, etc. \n\nOkay, that's WITH a minimum wage. Imagine if there was no minimum wage an companies started hiring people at 3.00 per hour. Assuming 50 hours again, that's only $165.00 per week or about 660 per month. That doesn’t cover food and shelter. If these people were to work 2 minimum wage jobs, 40 hours each, they would still only have 960.00 per month.  That still doesn’t cover the basic listed above in this area, and if you think that companies would not take advantage of people this way, you have a lot to learn about American businesses. \n\nMany American companies are not above keeping employees as close to minimums they can. In fact, there are many companies now that reward proficiency and hard work with termination. With the "At Will"\n laws in many states today, if an employee mentions the word, union, they are terminated on the spot, and it's legal. Add to that the fact that these same companies periodically fire members of there senior staff because these people 'make too much money' because they have been around too long and know too much and you have some major unfair business practices. But that is a different issue. My point is that these companies would exploit people to no end if it weren't for the minimum wage law.
168289
Depends on several factors.  One, are you making the same or less as your permement counterparts with the same amount of seniority (i.e. new).\n\nTwo, did they provide you with a comprehensive benefits package?  If so, include that into your salary as a raise.\n\nIf you make less then your equals, I would question it.
998709
I agree.  I think the tax rebates a few years back were detrimental to our economy.  I have an Idea about how not only we can stimulate our economy but generate additional tax dollars as well.  That idea is raising minimum wage.  With as many minimum wage employees as there are, that could inject some major cash into the tax system.  Also, that could help stimulate business because minimum wage workers save an average of 0% of their income; therefore they would be spending more and boosting the economy.