In February’s State of the Union address, President Obama provoked conservatives’ ire by proposing an increase in the minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $9. Especially in a struggling economy, wouldn’t a minimum-wage boost increase unemployment and hurt small businesses? And would it even help the working poor? Let’s unpack some of the assumptions about the minimum wage that have stuck around since its creation almost eight decades ago. [cont.]
Betsey Stevenson (U. of Michigan), Washington Post
Recent polls: Minimum wage