Washington: Unfortunately for Cornel West (“A higher minimum: The Christian way,” Op-Ed, March 13), the Bible is silent on the wisdom of a higher minimum wage. Fortunately for New York policymakers, the overwhelming consensus of economic literature is not.

Eighty-five percent of the most credible studies on the subject from the last two decades point to a loss of job opportunities following a wage hike. Most recently, research published in a Cornell University academic journal found a greater-than-20% drop in employment for less-educated New Yorkers following the last state-mandated wage hike.

Unlike West’s opinion, these conclusions are not something policymakers have to take on faith.

Michael Saltsman, Employment Policies Institute