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Minimum Wage Hikes are an Employment Barrier for Teens
June 2013 · Michael Saltsman · Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
Urban League President Marc Morial recently announced his organization’s support for an increase in the federal minimum wage to $10.10. Though Morial believes the higher wage will assist urban areas like Ft. Lauderdale that his organization represents, the evidence tells a different story of unintended consequences for the city’s vulnerable young adults who desperately need a job. Nationally, the unemployment rate for all teens has been above… -
The Summer of Nevada Teens’ Discontent
June 2013 · Michael Saltsman · Las Vegas Review-Journal
Nevada parents, prepare yourselves: With a 25.6 percent teen unemployment rate heading into the summer of 2013, your jobless kids might be making frequent withdrawals from the Bank of Mom & Dad for their vacation spending cash. There are a number of factors at work. More competition from older jobseekers, for instance, has put young and inexperienced applicants at a competitive disadvantage. But also at fault are… -
A Training Wage Might Get Teens Off the Couch
June 2013 · Michael Saltsman · Huffington Post
It’s tough being a teenager in this economy. Teen unemployment has been above 20 percent for the past four summers, and it’s currently hovering near 24 percent. If you’re a teen in California, it’s even worse — 32.5 percent of 16-19 year-olds that would like to work are instead stuck on the couch. So here’s an outside-the-box proposal to get our young people back in the workplace:… -
On Wage Mandates, the Devil’s in the Details
May 2013 · Michael Saltsman · Orange County Register
After backing three failed attempts to raise the California minimum wage in the last two years, California Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D-Salinas) has finally caught a break. A party-line vote in the Assembly’s Appropriations Committee last week ensured that Alejo’s proposal will have its day before the Democrat-dominated legislative body before the month is out. The California minimum wage currently stands at $8 an hour, and Alejo would… -
Minimum Wage Hikes Cost Teens Jobs
May 2013 · Michael Saltsman · San Antonio Express-News
Texas parents, prepare yourselves: With a 21.8 percent teen unemployment rate heading into the summer, your jobless kids might be making frequent withdrawals from the Bank of Mom & Dad. A number of factors are at work: More competition from older jobseekers, for instance, has put young applicants at a competitive disadvantage. But also at fault is a series of ill-conceived minimum wage mandates at the state and federal… -
‘Fight for $15’ Protest Only Fights the Future
May 2013 · Michael Saltsman · Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
A small percentage of Milwaukee’s fast-food workforce walked off the job this week, demanding a greater than 100% increase in the minimum wage — to $15 an hour from Wisconsin’s current $7.25 an hour. Though the strikers have targeted fast-food chain restaurants, their real battle isn’t with restaurant management at all; it’s with the restaurant’s price-conscious customers. And if the workers get their way with a $15…