Doing the minimum wage right

[2shelbys]

Raising the minimum wage is absolutely NOT the right thing to do. The minimum wage is only intended for those young people just entering the work force, the overwhelming majority of whom still live at home and spend nothing on “necessities”. No one should be trying to support a family on minimum wage, and if they are they are most likely doing something wrong. It was instituted to make it easier for employers to afford to hire people who will not be “productive” for some period of time. As the minimum wage goes up the amount of time employers can allow a new employee to develop into a “productive” worker decreases drastically, as does their ability to hire untrained people at all. The picture of someone struggling to support a family on minimum wage is largely a myth. The reality is, raising the minimum wage will cause people to lose jobs they don’t master quickly and it will prevent many of the young new workers (the ones it is supposed to help) from getting jobs at all.

 

[vern_humphrey]

Let me point out that those who think we should raise the minimum wage have painted themselves into a corner.

On the one hand they have claimed that raising the minimum wage has no negative impact. On the other, they deplore the blackmarket labor system that has arisen in response to setting by fiat the wages of unskilled workers.

Of course undocumented workers are often exploited! They work in a blackmarket! By definition, a black market cannot be regulated by the government.

And that market was created by overpricing unskilled labor.

 

[Philip_P]

vern humphrey:

Let me point out that those who think we should raise the minimum wage have painted themselves into a corner.

On the one hand they have claimed that raising the minimum wage has no negative impact. On the other, they deplore the blackmarket labor system that has arisen in response to setting by fiat the wages of unskilled workers.

Of course undocumented workers are often exploited! They work in a blackmarket! By definition, a black market cannot be regulated by the government.

And that market was created by overpricing unskilled labor.

Right, it has NOTHING to do with people in other countries seeking better economic conditions or with a schizophrenic immigration policy that encourages immigration while denying these same immigrants legal status. And legalizing undocumented workers, thus making them subject to the rule of law, would do nothing to stop exploitation. Whatever.

 

[vern_humphrey]

Philip P:

Right, it has NOTHING to do with people in other countries seeking better economic conditions

The better economic conditions exist because we have priced native-born Americans out of the market for these jobs. If we allowed employers to set wages based on the actual value of the work, there would be far fewer jobs open to illegals.
Philip P:

or with a schizophrenic immigration policy that encourages immigration while denying these same immigrants legal status.

That’s part and parcel of the black market – lots of jobs, but not worth what the law says we have to pay American citizens. It wouldn’t matter if we legalized these immigrants – it’s the low pay that’s the key to the black market, and legal, documented aliens would fall under the same rules as citizens, and be priced out of this labor market.
Philip P:

And legalizing undocumented workers, thus making them subject to the rule of law, would do nothing to stop exploitation. Whatever.

Right – and if we had purity laws for drugs, fewer junkies would die from adulterated drugs – because people who sell illegal drugs would never violate THAT law.http://forums.catholic-questions.org/images/icons/icon12.gif

A black market, by definition, is NOT susceptible to government control or regulation.