"Well, Boehner, Ryan, and Rubio, they have publicly rejected President
Obama’s proposal, and they’re now spouting out the same old lies that we
heard six years ago: That it’s gonna’ cost jobs and it’s gonna’ hurt
small business. It’s just another example of Republicans denying the
facts. So let’s get this whole straight, folks: Several academic studies
have found that increasing minimum wage had no significant effect on
employment levels in this country. Bottom line: It doesn’t kill jobs,
and it won’t kill small businesses. … By raising the minimum wage, we
directly address the growing levels of income inequality in this country
by giving people a chance to lift themselves out of poverty and join
the middle class, which is the mission — a rising tide lifts all boats.
By opposing this, Republicans are just showing us once again just who
exactly who they stand for."
- Ed Schultz, MSNBC, 13 February 2013
First, raising the minimum wage won’t really hurt small businesses. It’ll just hurt their employees, who get laid off, and people looking for jobs, who will not be able to get them.
Don’t take my word for it. Here’s The Ferret on the subject:
“The actions of labor unions can have effects similar to those of minimum wages, leading to structural unemployment.”
– Macroeconomics, 2nd ed., by Paul Krugman and Robin Wells, Worth Publishers, 2009 (page 210)
“Stanford University economist Paul Krugman, however, said raising the minimum wage and lowering barriers to union organization would carry a trade-off — increased unemployment.”
– Training touted to close widening wage gap – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, page 8A – 6 February 1996
Now, let's turn to whether raising the national minimum wage will help income inequality.
18 states have higher than national minimum wages.
California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Illinois, Ohio,
Michigan, Maine, Washington, Oregon, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, Alaska, and Montana.
Bolded states below have higher than national minimum wages:
According to CBPP, the average income of the top 5% of households was 13.3 times the average income of the bottom fifth in the following states:
1. Arizona
2. New Mexico
3. California
4. Georgia
5. New York (ratio exceeded 15.0)
2. New Mexico
3. California
4. Georgia
5. New York (ratio exceeded 15.0)
The top 10 states – greatest income inequality between the top and the bottom, late-2000s:
1. New Mexico
2. Arizona
3. California
4. Georgia
5. New York
6. Louisiana
7. Texas
8. Massachusetts
9. Illinois
10. Mississippi
2. Arizona
3. California
4. Georgia
5. New York
6. Louisiana
7. Texas
8. Massachusetts
9. Illinois
10. Mississippi
States where the ratio of average income for richest 20% of families to the poorest 20% of families, 2008-2010, exceeded 8.0:
1. California
2. Arizona
3. Colorado
4. New Mexico
5. Massachusetts
6. Rhode Island
7. Connecticut
8. New Jersey
9. New York
10. Virginia
11. Georgia
12. Florida
13. Mississippi
14. Illinois
15. Louisiana
16. Oklahoma
17. Texas
2. Arizona
3. Colorado
4. New Mexico
5. Massachusetts
6. Rhode Island
7. Connecticut
8. New Jersey
9. New York
10. Virginia
11. Georgia
12. Florida
13. Mississippi
14. Illinois
15. Louisiana
16. Oklahoma
17. Texas
States where the ratio of average income for richest 20% of
families to the poorest 20% of families, 2008-2010, was between 7.0 and
8.0:
1. Washington
2. Nevada
3. North Dakota
4. Kansas
5. Missouri
6. Michigan
7. Indiana
8. Kentucky
9. Tennessee
10. Alabama
11. South Carolina
12. North Carolina
13. Maryland
14. Pennsylvania
2. Nevada
3. North Dakota
4. Kansas
5. Missouri
6. Michigan
7. Indiana
8. Kentucky
9. Tennessee
10. Alabama
11. South Carolina
12. North Carolina
13. Maryland
14. Pennsylvania
States where the ratio of average income for richest 20% of families to the poorest 20% of families, 2008-2010, was below 7.0:
1. Utah
2. West Virginia
3. Vermont
4. Idaho
5. Hawaii
6. Alaska
7. Wyoming
8. South Dakota
9. Nebraska
10. Wisconsin
11. Minnesota
12. Iowa
13. Montana
14. Ohio
15. Oregon
16. Maryland
17. Arkansas
18. New Hampshire
19. Maine
2. West Virginia
3. Vermont
4. Idaho
5. Hawaii
6. Alaska
7. Wyoming
8. South Dakota
9. Nebraska
10. Wisconsin
11. Minnesota
12. Iowa
13. Montana
14. Ohio
15. Oregon
16. Maryland
17. Arkansas
18. New Hampshire
19. Maine
Between the late 1970s and mid-2000s, incomes of the bottom fifth of households didn’t grow by more than 27% in any of these states, and in one state — Michigan – they actually fell.
Greatest increases in income inequality between the top and the middle, late 1970s to mid-2000s:
1. Connecticut
2. California
3. Oklahoma
4. New York
5. New Mexico
6. Illinois
7. Oregon
8. Texas
9. Massachusetts
10. Rhode Island
Related Reading:
Soft Apartheid: The Income Inequality Factor Liberals Can't Talk About
Unsurprisingly, Higher Minimum Wages Do Nothing To Alleviate Income Inequality
Obama's Minimum Wage Delusion
Obama's Minimum Wage Hike: A Case of Zombie Economics
No, Sergeant Schultz, A Higher Minimum Wage Will Not Address Income Inequality
Obama's Progressive Mythology
Will The Real Paul Krugman Please Stand Up?
Nostalgianomics
No comments:
Post a Comment