Minimum wage hikes always result in layoffs. A lot of low end, part time, seasonal jobs, life guarding, lawn mowing, fast food, ski patrolling, waiting tables, will just go away if the minimum wage goes up. In short, while a minimum wage helps the better paid workers, it results in layouts and job loss to at least as many. There is only so much money to go around, minimum wage forces more money to go to fewer workers and layoffs to the others. The NH ski areas, a low margin business if there ever was one, fear that Obama will force them to pay the seasonal workers $10.10 an hour. Excuse? A lot of ski trails run thru Forest Service land, and Obama thinks that gives him the right to dictate wages.
With unemployment what it is, the country needs more jobs, even entry level jobs. Kids coming out of high school need that first job. It gives them experience, and even more important, it gives them references, essential to landing that next job.
Unions love minimum wage laws. It drives the high schoolers and the part timers out of the labor market and allows them to win higher wage hikes at bargaining time.
Bureaucrats love minimum wage laws. It allows them to interfere in yet another part of American life.
I think wages ought to be a matter between employee and employer. If the wage is too low, the employee can always quit and draw welfare. Or organize a union and go on strike.
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