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Minimum Wage Pros And Cons

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Higher minimum wages are attractive and seem to be a socially responsible thing to do for the welfare of the workers. Unfortunately, according to research, unintended outcomes after the fact have resulted in negative outcomes. In my opinion, when I look at the general bird’s eye view, the negative effects are as a result of an uneven application of the rise in minimum wage giving other opportunistic players a chance to maneuver and cheat the system.

Let us look at the effects on various stakeholders;

On Workers

A raise in minimum wage gives more purchasing power to more workers resulting to a raised standard of living. It is however urged that once the employers raise wages, their production costs go up resulting into higher prices of goods and products.

As reported by Forbes, San Diego changed its minimum wage from $10 to $11.50 and saw a loss of as many as …show more content…
On Businesses

Employers are highly likely to pass on the increased price of production on to consumers, instead of laying off employees. When policies are enacted in certain sections of the country, many businesses operating in these areas may leave or new businesses may choose to skip these areas for a better bargain elsewhere.

On the General Economy

According to Karrie Comfor, the minimum wage rise has a hidden tax that lurks behind it: enforcement. The only way to make sure employers abide by these new minimum wage laws is to enforce them, and that means budgeting for allocations to supplement business losses and minimize wage theft.

In conclusion, not only does raising the minimum wage to hurt workers by giving them fewer opportunities in the job market, it also limits potential job experience that could one day lead to a better paying job.

PART II: Effects of Rent

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