Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Special interest group: Minimum wage increase in Missouri would benefit workers, small businesses

(From the National Employment Law Project)

Washington, D.C.—A new report by the National Employment Law Project highlights the positive impact that raising Missouri’s minimum wage to $12 an hour would have on both small businesses and workers.

Missouri’s minimum wage is currently $7.85 per hour, which amounts to $16,328 for year-round, full-time workers. Raising the state’s minimum wage to $12 per hour would not only mean a much-needed raise for thousands of Missouri workers, it would also boost sales for small businesses by increasing consumer spending, as low-wage workers are, out of necessity, most likely to spend any additional money they make.

A higher state minimum wage could also significantly reduce expensive turnover costs for small businesses by improving worker retention—and extensive research shows that improving pay can increase productivity and improve performance. The new report also highlights key studies from the more than 25 years of economic research finding that states can raise their minimum wage without reducing employment.

“Polls of small business owners around the country show that small businesses support raising the minimum wage,” said Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project. “Small business owners understand what economic research has shown: Raising the minimum wage means better business by boosting consumer spending, by reducing expensive turnover costs that plague low-wage industries, and by improving productivity and customer service.”

This month, Missouri’s Secretary of State officially certified Raise Up Missouri’s proposed ballot initiative to gradually raise Missouri’s minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2023 statewide. Missouri voters will now have the opportunity to vote yes this November on Proposition B to bring a much-needed wage increase to 677,000 Missouri workers.

Missouri Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, a growing group of over 375 Missouri businesses supporting an increase in the minimum wage, has expressed their support for the measure “because it’s good for business, customers and our local economy.” (https://www.businessforafairminimumwage.org/Missouri-Sign-On-Statement).

Missouri stands to join a growing number of jurisdictions that have taken steps to raise wages. Faced with state and federal inaction, rising living costs, and declining paychecks, more and more states and cities are taking action to raise the minimum wage at the state and local level.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

So what does this "special interest group" stand to gain here? Raising minimum wage is nothing but an inflation starter.If you think that raising minimum wage will give anyone a livable wage you are delusional. So, the now $12 wage people can't stay THERE. They will need to go to $15 and what about the folks making $16 now - they will have to go to $20. Now what? The price of EVERYTHING has to go up to compensate...and here we are, right back where we started with everyone now in a higher tax bracket. Hummmm, how did that happen? Let's focus on getting skills training to people that need a higher wage and leave minimum wage to do what it is supposed to...get unskilled workers started in the workforce doing what minimum wage jobs are. Not all jobs are worth $12 an hour.

Harvey Hutchinson said...

Anonymous 10:51, you are spot on

We’ve blown our chance to get any major industry to locate here when we failed to pass Prop A.
The first two things on every blur chip company s list is Right to work, and corporate taxes.
So raising minimum wage is only going to run off what little industry we still have.

Harvey Hutchinson 303-522-6622 voice&text

Anonymous said...

An increase in the minimum wage does not affect all hourly paid employees. Most companies do not automatically increase the hourly rate of an employee who is already above the new minimum. The law does not require that. A business is only required to bring employees who are below the new minimum wage up to the new minimum.

Anonymous said...

You make too much sense to be commenting on this blog...

Anonymous said...

Okay, I'm sorry but I've been alive 50 years now and I've never known people to be self-sufficient on minimum wage. That's not what it was meant for. If you are 30 to 35 years old and still working for minimum wage then that's your problem. These younger kids that are working minimum wage jobs in fast food service or whatever the case might be can afford to start out on the bottom and work their way up. This delusional sense of entitlement to a $12 an hour minimum wage is ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

Only Harvey could come up with a "blur" chip company. Now I know how he comes up with his "blurred" reality, alternative facts and brainwashed rhetoric. Still hasn't learned to proof read his tripe yet.

Anonymous said...

1037... when all your ideas are exhausted. When your side of a debate is clearly lost. When logic leaves you on the wrong side... that is when you attack a person for a typo. Typo and grammar corrections are the things that people in the wrong bring to a debate.

Anonymous said...

749....Your definition of "wrong side" is undoubtedly any side that deals in truth and reality. Go back to your Trump cultists, your alternative facts and keep practicing your National Enquirer mantra.