Is the proposed minimum wage hike good for the California Economy? (2013, unemployment rate)

[WeakandDizzy]

The California legislature and Governor Brown seem ready to hike the minimum wage from $ 8.00/hr to $10.00/hr. What is your take, good for the low wage workers in this state, or will it push more of them on to the unemployment rolls? Please discuss.

[Mashi]

Good for a few. Horrible for most. When will people realize that money doesn't grow on trees? You can't just extort money out of companies. The wage hike will help a few minimum wage workers who manage to keep their jobs, while causing major hour cuts and unemployment to the majority. California's politicians are idiots who peddle a failed ideology to the drugged and ignorant masses.

[armourereric]

I used to work for jack in the box many years ago, and have watched their performance daily since. Frankly, I don't see how they survive this. And I am surprised that their stock did not tank today. See it's not just that the support crew will have to go to $10, they will have to do something now for the $9Hr shift managers, $10/hr assistants and $14/hr Store Managers as well. If I was still there, I'd ask for a demotion under this new law, drop 2/3 of the stress for 1/3 less pay. But I quit in 2005 and took a full time job feeding chickens at a farm for $15/hr.

[WeakandDizzy]

Originally Posted by armourereric

I used to work for jack in the box many years ago, and have watched their performance daily since. Frankly, I don't see how they survive this. And I am surprised that their stock did not tank today. See it's not just that the support crew will have to go to $10, they will have to do something now for the $9Hr shift managers, $10/hr assistants and $14/hr Store Managers as well. If I was still there, I'd ask for a demotion under this new law, drop 2/3 of the stress for 1/3 less pay. But I quit in 2005 and took a full time job feeding chickens at a farm for $15/hr.

I know I am a bit cynical but if you inflate wages it helps the government ( federal and state) pay their debts with less valuable dollars. You keep the voters happy and you inflate away your debt. It hurts the small business owners who may not be able to pass on the costs to their customers, some of the workers who lose their jobs ( those in marginal positions), but makes the politicians and unions happy. The unions can now ask for a raise for their members because the bottom of the labor pool got a raise. Before you accuse me of being anti-union, my father was a card carrying member of the Teamster's union.

[aboveordinary]

In Massachusetts, they want 11 dollars an hour for minimum wage.


http://www.masslive.com/politics/ind...y_that_mi.html

[Galaxie Girl]

Originally Posted by WeakandDizzy

Before you accuse me of being anti-union, my father was a card carrying member of the Teamster's union.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with being anti-union. I'm proud to say I oppose unions, as they have outlived their usefulness.

As usual, this state is attempting to perpetuate the notion that raising the minimum wage helps the economy, in spite of past evidence that it does quite the opposite. After all, you cannot lift up the wage earner by tearing down the wage payer.

[armourereric]

Hey my dad was a Union Carpenter for 32 years.

[Zelva]

So teen unemployment will rise, cuz why hire a teen for $8 when you can get a (likely mature) adult for the $10? This 'feel good' stuff won't feel very good to some!

[shooting4life]

This not good for California, just causes an increase in prices. People working minimum wage jobs will only be able to buy the same amount of stuff as this will cause the price of most things to rise. The only people this helps in the government and people in debt, devaluing the dollar is the only way the government will ever be able to get out of debt.

[Malloric]

Originally Posted by Zelva

So teen unemployment will rise, cuz why hire a teen for $8 when you can get a (likely mature) adult for the $10? This 'feel good' stuff won't feel very good to some!

Look at fast food, it's not really that many teens as it is these days.

And anyway, the minimum wage isn't about being good for the economy. Almost everyone agrees it's bad for the economy. That isn't the point. The point is you do minimal harm to the economy and increase the standard of living of the least well-off.

Given that more than 97% of workers over 25 make more than the minimum wage anyway and that California has a 8.6% unemployment rate, I think it's kind of odd. Shouldn't we be focusing on the unemployed rate? Why enact policies that will increase the unemployment rate. Teenagers are 8x as likely to earn the minimum wage as someone 25+. The biggest increase will be on teenagers who if they just entered the work force most of whom wouldn't be earning the minimum wage for very long at all anyway.

If you're really worried about the plight of the 25+ minimum wage workers, just increase EITC. It's hard enough for Johnny High Schooler to get a job as it is, especially since if he just got a job, any job, so he can be one of the 97% of 25+ workers who earn more than the minimum wage in a few years (and probably only a few months).