Economic Growth Boosts Prosperity, not Minimum Wage Hikes
Instead of pushing counterproductive wage mandates, policymakers should focus on proven ways to boost economic opportunity for all.
Wolf’s Wage Hike: Big Promises, Bigger Fallout
Gov. Wolf is requiring an increase in the minimum wage for state workers and contractors from $7.25 per hour to $10.15 per hour. While mandated minimum wage increases come with big promises, they carry bigger—and far less glowing—consequences.
Read More >Minimum Wage Backers Leave Young Minorities Behind
Today, Big Labor-backed groups will rally to raise Pennsylvania’s mandated minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. This comes on the heels of Philadelphia’s Mayor Nutter announcing his plan to raise the city’s minimum wage via executive order. Unfortunately, raising the minimum wage has the unintended effect of putting young workers, especially minorities, out of work.
Read More >The Harmful Effects of a Minimum Wage Increase
In his 2014 State of the Union address, President Obama proposed increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. Although it sounds beneficial to low-wage workers, minimum wage hikes fail to reduce poverty and result in fewer jobs. Instead of increasing costs for employers, lawmakers should focus on expanding job opportunities through pro-growth policies, thereby raising wages for all.
Read More >The True Cost of Minimum Wage
If a higher minimum wage benefits workers, why not push it to $20 or $30 or even higher? Because experience shows minimum wage increases actually hurt the very workers they aim to help—particularly young minorities.
Read More >80 Ideas for a Prosperous Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania must undergo a rapid transformation to reverse the poor policy decisions that have eroded economic freedoms and brought the state to its present condition. To provide a roadmap for success in this critical endeavor, the Commonwealth Foundation has compiled a list of 80 policy recommendations for Gov. Corbett and state legislators to help lead a Pennsylvania comeback. Each of these recommendations links to Commonwealth Foundation research with more information on each issue.
Read More >The Nanny State Mentality
Anyone who has observed politics for long would see that too many politicians believe nothing positive would happen unless they pass a law requiring it. They think that the American people are dependent on them for their wealth, safety, and happiness.
Read More >Minimum Wage COLAs: Overstated Benefits & Hidden Costs
Support for minimum wage increases is based on the idea that a higher minimum wage will “help the poor” by increasing their pay and lifting them out of poverty. However, this perception is far from the reality. Minimum wage increases do not target the poor, they do not improve the lives and income of low-skill workers to the extent proponents claim, and they have many negative consequences—including lost jobs, reduction in workers’ hours and benefits, and higher prices fo
Read More >Lost Jobs, Lost Opportunities: The Reality of the Minimum Wage Hike
In 2006, Governor Ed Rendell argued that hiking Pennsylvania’s minimum wage by 39% would not lead to lost jobs and opportunities for low-wage workers. Unfortunately, Mr. Rendell has already been proven wrong, and small employers and entry-level employees are paying the price.
Read More >Minimum Rationality for Minimum Wage
In an election year, legislators do irrational things, such as spend more money than the budget supports, fund pork projects for their districts, and raise the minimum wage.
Read More >Letter to Gov. Rendell on the Minimum Wage
January 23, 2006 Governor Edward G. Rendell225 Main Capitol BuildingHarrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120 Dear Governor Rendell, I understand that politicians sometimes change their policy positions. And I probably don’t have to remind you of your position on the minimum wage in the 2002 gubernatorial campaign when you said:
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