From Fox News:
Seattle sees fallout from $15 minimum wage, as other cities follow suit
Seattle’s $15 minimum wage law is supposed to lift workers out of poverty and move them off public assistance. But there may be a hitch in the plan.
Evidence is surfacing that some workers are asking their bosses for fewer hours as their wages rise – in a bid to keep overall income down so they don’t lose public subsidies for things like food, child care and rent.
A bit more:
The notion that employees are intentionally working less to preserve their welfare has been a hot topic on talk radio. While the claims are difficult to track, state stats indeed suggest few are moving off welfare programs under the new wage.
Despite a booming economy throughout western Washington, the state’s welfare caseload has dropped very little since the higher wage phase began in Seattle in April. In March 130,851 people were enrolled in the Basic Food program. In April, the caseload dropped to 130,376.
At the same time, prices appear to be going up on just about everything.
These do-gooders never look at the big picture - every action has consequences and the entire chain of events needs to be considered when making a change like this. Besides, it was never about a minimum wage, it was about union pay and benefits which are pegged to the minimum wage. Increase the minimum wage, you give every union member a nice raise.
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