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"In what has become a running joke amongst those skeptical of the claim that minimum wage increases have no effect on unemployment, a recent report by the Employment Policies Institute showed that 174 of the 184 co-sponsors of a bill to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour hired unpaid interns."
"In a review of over 100 studies, economists David Neumark and William Wascher found that,A sizable majority of the studies surveyed ... give a relatively consistent (although not always statistically significant) indication of negative employment effects of minimum wages. In addition, among the papers we view as providing the most credible evidence, almost all point to negative employment effects, both for the United States as well as for many other countries." http://www.nber.org/papers/w12663.pdf
"Yes, minimum wages still do increase unemployment."
https://mises.org/blog/seattles-minimum-wage-supporters-ignore-facts
(Score: 5, Insightful) by coolgopher on Sunday July 30 2017, @06:56AM (5 children)
Everyone carps on about employment numbers as if they're the be-all and end-all. It's rubbish. Employment does not guarantee a lack of poverty, *especially* not without minimum wage guarantees. And really, poverty is the more salient point in this context. Yes, it sucks to be without a job. You know why it sucks? Because your personal economy tanks, and you spiral downwards. If I didn't have to worry about paying the bills, I wouldn't mind being without a job so much. Heck, I could get some personal projects done. But this incessant whining about minimal wages lowering employment completely misses the point of employment - keeping people on their feet so they can make their way in society. Sheesh.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 30 2017, @07:35AM
Oh you don't have to worry about losing your job, when you can get your rich family to keep your fancy things for you, while you pretend to follow the simple life without possessions, live in a tent, pursue your dream of being a street minstrel for a few years, and still be swimming in pussy the whole time. You don't have to worry about a thing, if you live the lucky charmed life of Michael David Crawford.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Common Joe on Sunday July 30 2017, @08:49AM
Indeed. Employment should never be the end goal. Measuring employment is merely a single step towards finding out how we are doing as a society. If employment were the end goal, we could employ everyone by having them dig ditches with a spoon for a quarter per day.
I'm American, but live in another country and I just had a conversation with a coworker the other day. He couldn't understand why I lived so far away from the downtown area where I work. (About 1.5 hours travel each way when there's no construction.) I then dropped the bomb on him -- I'm earning minimum wage. He looked at me astonished and said that's not very much. No. It's not. I couldn't do better, though. No one else would hire me and I was desperate. Still am. Without my wife's income, I'd be toast. And she doesn't earn much either. We are extremely frugal so we can make ends meet. Our luxury spending consists of going out with my mother-in-law to lunch once a month and me paying for everyone's meal. There is no way we could afford to live anywhere near downtown. For us, making our way in society is extremely tough. But hey, we're both employed.
(Score: 0, Troll) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday July 30 2017, @09:22AM (1 child)
You want a guaranteed lack of poverty? Sorry, not happening. It doesn't exist under any system involving human beings. You can either have the best and brightest able to pull themselves out of it or you can guarantee it to everyone, take your pick.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 30 2017, @08:13PM
Heh, yeah I'll opt for guaranteeing that everyone is out of poverty. Do you even cogitate bro?
Yes yes I know you meant guaranteeing poverty for everyone, but that was just too stupid so I pretended like you had a clue.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 30 2017, @11:02PM
Being employed should always guarantee that you've got enough for a modest place to live and food as well as the ability to get sick without going bankrupt and have a week or two that you don't have to work every year.
Now, for those living in the 2nd or 3rd world, that's not necessarily realistic, but there's absolutely no excuse for the US, the wealthiest nation to ever exist, for that not to be true. The only reason it's not true is that the politicians are owned by greedy kleptocrats that feel entitled to steal everything that isn't nailed down. And then to steal the nails and the rest of it.