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Minimum wage
Arizona's unemployment rate remains at a high 9.2 percent, and the state's lawmakers should be commended for focusing on the creation of more entry-level jobs. Kudos to the Range News editorial board for also recognizing the need to address high minimum wage rates for entry-level workers ("A lower wage for teens? May be something to it," March 3).
Decades of economic research demonstrate that a high minimum-wage environment leads to fewer job opportunities for less-experienced workers. Most recently, research out of Ball State University found that the 40 percent federal wage hike between July 2007 and July 2009 was responsible for 550,000 fewer part-time jobs.
Department of Education data show that 27 million Americans lack the skills needed to fill out a job application. Yet even the most basic restaurant or retail jobs require an ability to read and do basic math. A lower "training" wage makes it easier for employers to hire these less-experienced workers, giving them a chance to acquire the skills needed to move up in the workforce.
For these Arizonians, starting at a lower wage is better than no wage at all.
Michael Saltsman, Research Fellow
Employment Policies Institute
Decades of economic research demonstrate that a high minimum-wage environment leads to fewer job opportunities for less-experienced workers. Most recently, research out of Ball State University found that the 40 percent federal wage hike between July 2007 and July 2009 was responsible for 550,000 fewer part-time jobs.
Department of Education data show that 27 million Americans lack the skills needed to fill out a job application. Yet even the most basic restaurant or retail jobs require an ability to read and do basic math. A lower "training" wage makes it easier for employers to hire these less-experienced workers, giving them a chance to acquire the skills needed to move up in the workforce.
For these Arizonians, starting at a lower wage is better than no wage at all.
Michael Saltsman, Research Fellow
Employment Policies Institute
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of willcoxrangenews.com.
Phillip D wrote on Mar 11, 2010 12:50 PM:
For Arizonans, a job with decent wages is better than a job with lousy wages. "