More straw men. Reasonable increases in minimum wage don't meaningfully affect unemployment or inflation. Increasing minimum wage to $50 or $150 wouldn't be a "reasonable" increase.
Not according to the evidence. Reasonable increases in minimum wage don't meaningfully increase inflation.
Yes. It's the lesser of two evils. If we continually raise minimum wage, businesses will eventually automate jobs wherever possible. That'll lead to substantially fewer minimum wage jobs. And when that happens, what becomes of those unskilled workers? Logically, they'll live entirely off welfare. I don't know what percentage of an unskilled worker's expenses is currently paid by welfare, but I'll bet it's less than 100%.
Raising the minimum wage causes ripple effects that cause wages to rise throughout the lower third of the income distribution.
Walmart has the option to do this now. Costco does pay more to have better employees who are on time and do a better job. I think history has shown that companies will pay the minimum, and that the supply for labor has not suddenly decreased to the point where the service industry is competing over workers. Yes, small businesses will be affected more greatly than corporations. Local prices will probably see an increase, but it won't be proportional to the wage increase. Other white collar wages may see a small increase as well to keep appearances, but doubtful a large mass of overqualified workers will rush to minimum wage service jobs.
So what you're saying is we are at the mercy of business? If businesses could use automation to save money they'd already be doing it. the do it now even with the wages in this country stagnant and guess what? They do for high skilled jobs too like Lawyers, Accountants, engineers.
Businesses will automate ALL jobs (not just unskilled ones) because it just makes sense to do so. Eliminating variable costs for an upfront fixed cost is a wet dream, and that's going to actually effect white collars with routine jobs a hell of a lot more than blue collar workers with non-rote jobs. I really am tired of the whole minimum wage debate--it should be a basic income debate. Period. But I am heartened that California is giving more income share to labour one of the only ways it has ever been achieved: government fiat. (the other way is strong unionization--you need to take what you're owed). go cali! I'll pay more taxes, gladly, if it goes to the basic income.
Minimum wage right now is $7.25, not $15. As minimum wage rises, automation becomes relatively cheaper.
Im going off of 15 dollars/hour or 25k per. How much do you have to make to become ineligible for welfare? 25-30k a year isn't the same class of welfare as those who make 10-15k or less per right? Expenses for a livable wage i'd say are rent + electricity/utilities, clothes, groceries, then you factor in the ability for people to take care of a child, which adds on too all of the expenses above as well as adds things like school supplies and day care for the summer/winter breaks etc. Some may be able to get by with public transportation, but many can't between home work and children's school, sometimes personal transportation is a necessity. Some people could live off of 1600 per month if they are single with no children, don't have a need for a car and can find affordable housing, close job and have no problems or extra expenses, don't have a phone/internet, wear the same clothes all the time etc but many people don't have such an ideal setting, others would barely scrape by with a 2400 per month minimum wage, think of a single parent who needs car and has to pay for day care etc
Maybe these whiners are too stupid to look at papers or serious articles (NOT opinion) related to the topic and would rather to passively complain about how tough their simple minded life is. Make America Grate morans! Ban $15 minimum wage ANYWHERE!!!!11
Won't automation get cheaper and cheaper anyway? So what are we supposed to do just wait it out and not do anything?
Actually that is exactly what everyone should worry about. AI are getting better by the day, I just hope I have a job until I retire. What if AI is able to do 90% of the jobs performed by humans today, what will we humans do? Will everyone lines up at the bread lines to get the daily food rations with no work? Check out Alphago AI in the news, AI are doing deep learnings now,the future for man kind may not be so bright.
You can bet it being cheaper than any labor in the not too distant future for just about any job you can think of.
Automation LOL Here is an article about where minimum wage workers work. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tan...mum-wage-workers-work-and-how-much-they-make/ Automation starts and stops with order taking.
Those fancy drink dispensers and self-checkout machines have already reduced employment needs. I also think automation is an area corporations would be dumb not to put efforts into, but it'll be awhile before the added costs of maintenance and software development/packages meet the costs of hiring humans. Once maintenance and programming is automated, we will have achieved SkyNet and worrying about wages will be lost in judgement day.
