Proponents of a federal $15 minimum wage like progressive Senator Bernie Sanders argue that it would lift millions of workers out of poverty. But the former CEO of McDonald’s just warned that artificially spiking the cost of labor could hasten the drive toward automation and instead leave many workers replaced with machines.
Tag: minimum wage job creation
The minimum wage debate is littered with examples of second‐order consequences that tend to get ignored.
Governments can’t simply mandate higher wages into existence without imposing significant unintended consequences.
Bloomberg News recently ran a profile of Arin Dube, a Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. The story is a powerful one. It explores how Dube went from a 16-year-old burger flipper earning $3.85 at a McDonald’s in Seattle to a leading authority on the minimum wage. With federal legislation proposed to … Continue reading Bloomberg Article Misleads by Omitting Key Detail about Economists Surveyed on $15 Minimum Wage
A company spokesperson directly cited the city council’s ordinance mandating higher wages as the reason they are closing down.
For Americans hitting the drive-thru at their local McDonald’s, a $15-an-hour minimum wage could hit them in their wallets. According to a January report released by James Sherk, a former research fellow in labor economics at The Heritage Foundation, fast-food prices would rise by 38 percent under a $15-an-hour minimum wage and cause a 36 … Continue reading In 1 Chart, What Your Favorite Fast-Food Items Would Cost With $15 Minimum Wage
The National Employment Law Project (NELP) released a study claiming to have directly disproved any link between minimum wage and job loss. Unfortunately, it has received media attention, including a piece or two by Nick Hanauer, “America’s worst minimum wage pundit.” Fortunately, at least some of the coverage is negative – as it should be. … Continue reading Debunking a Misleading Minimum Wage Study