If the goal is minimum standard of living, then the minimum wage is a stupid way to achieve this. Just give people money if their income is below a threshold. W

If the goal is minimum standard of living, then the minimum wage is a stupid way to achieve this. Just give people money if their income is below a threshold. Why introduce this bizarre distortion in labor markets by setting a price floor on labor? I’m not going to cite anything so feel free to ignore this statement, but I’ve encountered a substantial body of evidence indicating that the minimum wage hits teen unemployment the hardest. Teens are not trying to raise families on a minimum wage, they just want some extra cash. The minimum wage kills this opportunity, and the entire justification for it has absolutely nothing to do with the teen’s situation.