Ohio is one of seven states that will increase its minimum wage on Jan. 1. The executive director of the Ohio Small Business Assoc. says the hike in wages will add to businesses' costs. But a low-wage worker says she needs the raise badly.
STEVE INSKEEP, host:
Gas prices have also gone up in recent weeks, but at least some people will be a little more able to afford gasoline in the coming days. Starting on New Year's Day, the paychecks of many workers will get a little bit bigger. Seven states are raising the minimum wage.
NPR's Nathan Rott reports.
NATHAN ROTT: Cara Speaks says she's lucky. She has two jobs in Columbus, Ohio. At one of them she earns the minimum wage, which in Ohio means $7.30 per hour. How does she get by?
Ms. CARA SPEAKS: I have no idea.
ROTT: With gas over $3 a gallon, Speaks says she's happy to see even a small raise.
Ms. SPEAKS: It's good and it's needed.
http://www.npr.org/2010/12/23/132276807/Minimum-Wage-To-Increase-In-Seven-States?ft=1&f=1006
Unemployment will also rise in 7 states.
"Jobs Leaving from Seven States."
This article represents another reason I can’t stand NPR... one-sided reporting is the only way...in their playbook.
Do these 7 states expect to see unemployment go down when employers’ costs go up? Will lots of new jobs be created by paying the lowest pay-grades more money?
Anyone here spoken to employees of traditionally “minimum-wage” workplaces? Before the last federally mandated hike - finding someone actually being paid minimum wage (outside of some high school-aged teens) was actually pretty uncommon. Since then - far more are making the mandated “Minimum Wage”... Hmmmm.... Folks who were making more than minimum have found themselves making what entry-level folks did before the increase. What an incentive to work harder...
Not to mention employers who cut-back on hiring folks in general...
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
I am shocked California is not on the list.
This won’t make jobs go away, because the US economy is not a closed system. It will shift more jobs to illegal aliens.
Anybody who is too stupid to find a way to earn above minimum wage doesn’t deserve anything above minimum wage. Only an unqualified moron (or a teenager!) ever ends up stuck at minimum wage.