[Unless you work for the government]
Minimum wage advocates argue that increases are needed to reduce poverty for the "working poor," and that these increases can be implemented without negatively impacting employment. The reality, however, is that increases in the minimum wage come with serious negative costs, particularly for those workers whom the increases are intended to help, says the Fraser Institute.
The most damaging consequence of minimum wage increase is that employers respond by reducing the numbers of workers they employ and/or the numbers of hours their employees work. In other words, minimum wage increases result in higher unemployment for low-skilled workers and young people.
In Canada, 14 studies have reviewed the effects of minimum wage increases in the Canadian provinces, specifically British Columbia. According to Fraser:
- A 10 percent increase in the minimum wage is likely to decrease employment by 3 percent to 6 percent among all young workers.
- Those individuals earning between $8 and $10 an hour will see the greatest effect and 4.5 percent to 20 percent will lose their employment.
- Even for those workers who retain their employment after the minimum wage increase, they are likely to see a drastic decrease in the amount of hours worked.
Additionally, the Journal of Labor Economics found that a 10 percent increase in the minimum wage would decrease on-the-job training for unskilled workers by two percentage points. This will entrench them in the unskilled workforce, decreasing chances for vertical mobility.
[Ah, but in America virtually all government unionized employees' compensation is 'indexed' to the federal minimal wage, meaning every time it goes up so does the pay of every 'represented' public employee. This is why they keep passing such increases despite their obvious lunacy.]
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