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A lot of my girlfriend's friends work at or near minimum wage because they just need any job and the fact that there is a minimum wage seems to save them from c

A lot of my girlfriend's friends work at or near minimum wage because they just need any job and the fact that there is a minimum wage seems to save them from complete poverty (and it's not like they are trying to start a family or anything yet). I think that there is a optimal minumum wage (15$ seems too high for me) but it's hard for me to argue against it completely having seen the good it has done for people and how impossible it would be to live below it. I guess I would feel differently if I had met a lot of people who had not been able to get jobs because of the minimum wage but at least for me I've yet to meet someone in that situation.

RussianCow 9y ago
Since we're throwing out anecdotes, I've talked to a few local business owners who are looking at layoffs in the near future as a result of a series of upcoming jumps in minimum wage, because they simply can't afford to pay 50% more (over the next 5 years) and keep the same number of employees. I also met an automation engineer whose business is booming because companies are investing heavily into robotics and other technologies as cheaper alternatives to human beings. Neither of our anecdotes is particularly useful in this discussion, but the economics and data (as in the article) tend to suggest that having a high minimum wage is unsustainable.
- TYPE_FASTER 9y ago
  > I also met an automation engineer whose business is booming because companies are investing heavily into robotics and other technologies as cheaper alternatives to human beings. Yes, my guess is increasing the minimum wage, along with the rising cost of healthcare benefits, will be very convenient excuses for automation.
  - RivieraKid 9y ago
    Excuses? That's assuming that automation is something bad, that you need an excuse to do. Of course that companies try to maximize their profit. It's a good and necessary thing. Otherwise they'll lose market to competitors who automate.

RussianCow 9y ago

Since we're throwing out anecdotes, I've talked to a few local business owners who are looking at layoffs in the near future as a result of a series of upcoming jumps in minimum wage, because they simply can't afford to pay 50% more (over the next 5 years) and keep the same number of employees. I also met an automation engineer whose business is booming because companies are investing heavily into robotics and other technologies as cheaper alternatives to human beings. Neither of our anecdotes is particularly useful in this discussion, but the economics and data (as in the article) tend to suggest that having a high minimum wage is unsustainable.

TYPE_FASTER 9y ago
> I also met an automation engineer whose business is booming because companies are investing heavily into robotics and other technologies as cheaper alternatives to human beings. Yes, my guess is increasing the minimum wage, along with the rising cost of healthcare benefits, will be very convenient excuses for automation.
- RivieraKid 9y ago
  Excuses? That's assuming that automation is something bad, that you need an excuse to do. Of course that companies try to maximize their profit. It's a good and necessary thing. Otherwise they'll lose market to competitors who automate.