Proponents of increasing the minimum wage argue that raising the wage will benefit the poor. Increasing the minimum wage, however, does the opposite.

“[R]aising the minimum wage brings with it the unintended consequences that run counter to lawmakers’ aim of helping the working poor,” James Sherk writes.

Not only do minimum wage hikes lead to increased unemployment among low-skilled workers, they have also been found to reduce school enrollment and decrease workers’ long-term earnings. Additionally, raising the minimum wage does not reduce poverty.

Read Raising the Minimum Wage Hurts Vulnerable Workers' Job Prospects Without Reducing Poverty
by James Sherk

See also Minimum Wage Workers' Incomes Rise When the Minimum Wage Does Not
by James Sherk

Foreign Aid: Challenges and Opportunities
Mon., July 31, 2006, 12:00 noon

Is Communism Dead?
Wed., August 2, 2006, 12:00 noon

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