Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Raise Your Minimum Wage

I respect Teh Research and there has been more than Card & Kreuger's work, but it's really difficult to see how a moderately sized municipality will have negative job impacts from modest minimum wage increases. Minimum wage jobs tend to service local demand. This isn't about whether McD's franchise #13847578853 locates above or below the border between Lower and Upper Northrup when you're talking state-wide or city-wide laws. Sure, on the margins a few jobs might get hit, the employment mix might change a bit, and teen employment might take a tiny hit, but...so what? Maybe a few more people can put some food on their families.