1. A large body of evidence confirms that minimum wage reduces employment among low-wage, low-skill workers.

• If we have a minimum wage, it guarantees that workers have money to pay their bills, their rent, and go shopping. If the workers have money to spend, then they can shop at businesses, and businesses will make more money. Then, those businesses can hire more workers at the minimum wage. It is like a cycle of money going from business to worker back to business.

2. Poverty is a big problem all around the world. A minimum wage helps get more people out of poverty, than if there was no minimum wage. For example, if there was no minimum wage, you could pay people $1 per hour. Then, they only make $120 per MONTH. A hamburger at McDonald’s is $3. So people could only afford to buy 40 hamburgers with their whole salary for the month.

• The minimum wage is $15 per hour in many places.

3. By increasing the minimum wage, it would force businesses to lay off employees and raise unemployment levels.

Proof: The Congressional Budget Office projected that a minimum wage increase from $7.25 to $10.10 would result in a loss of 500,000 jobs. [5] In a survey of 1,213 businesses and human resources professionals, 38% of employers who currently pay minimum wage said they would lay off some employees if the minimum wage was raised to $10.10.

• If businesses cannot afford to pay their employees, then the business should close. Then, the customers of that business will shop at a different store, and that store will make more money. So, the store that remains open will make more money, and be able to hire more workers.
• One-third of small businesses may have to close as a result, which would have a negative impact on the customers and workers of those businesses.

4. If we raise the minimum wage, workers will work harder because they want the bigger salary. That way, businesses will have harder workers and make more money. So, the business can afford to pay $15 per hour.

• If they have a guaranteed $15, they won’t work harder, but they will work less hard. Instead, they should work hard first, and then get a raise to $15.
• Many businesses won’t pay their workers raises because they claim they don’t have enough money. So even if the workers work hard, they never get a raise.
• It is the workers’ own responsibility to ask for the pay that they want. If they aren’t brave, the raise won’t simply be handed to them.

5. Raising the minimum wage would increase poverty.

Evidence: A study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland found that although low-income workers see wage increases when the minimum wage is raised, “their hours and employment decline, and the combined effect of these changes is a decline in earned income… minimum wages increase the proportion of families that are poor or near-poor.” [47] As explained by George Reisman, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Economics at Pepperdine University, “The higher wages are, the higher costs of production are. The higher costs of production are, the higher prices are. The higher prices are, the smaller the quantities of goods and services demanded and the number of workers employed in producing them.” [48] Thomas Grennes, MA, Professor Emeritus at North Carolina State University, and Andris Strazds, MSc, Lecturer at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (Latvia), stated: “the net effect of higher minimum wages would be unfavorable for impoverished households, even if there are no job losses. To the extent that some poor households also lose jobs, their net losses would be greater.” [49]

$1 * 15 = $15 for the day

$15 * 15 = $225 for the day

6. The current minimum wage isn’t enough to buy essentials like food, clothing, and housing. For example, on top of food, you also have to buy clothing and pay rent and bills. After you pay this money, there is basically nothing left to save.

• Businesses can provide their employees with insurance. If they raise the wage, then work hours decrease, and fewer products are produced. This may result in bankruptcy for the company.
• Businesses have a responsibility to take care of their employees financially.
• The business has to be concerned with taking care of their customers, or else the business will fail. For example, if the hours are too short, people can’t come there and spend money.

7. Raising the minimum wage would increase the price of consumer goods.

• The price of goods will increase, but people will be earning more money. So, the people will have enough money to pay the increased prices.
• If businesses cannot afford to pay their employees, then the business should close. Then, the customers of that business will shop at a different store, and that store will make more money. So, the store that remains open will make more money, and be able to hire more workers.
• One-third of small businesses may have to close as a result, which would have a negative impact on the customers and workers of those businesses.