EPI Research (Page 7 )

• 

  The Impact of a $15 Minimum Wage in New Jersey

  May 2016

  Proponents of a higher wage in New Jersey argue that a $15 wage will pull families out of poverty while saving taxpayers money. For instance, Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto argued that, “[a $15 minimum wage] will be an integral component in our efforts to stop the decline in the middle class and lift working families out of poverty.” But But mounting evidence, including a new…
• 

  The Non-Working Poor and a $15 Minimum Wage

  April 2016

  One of the most cited reasons for increasing the minimum wage is that it’s necessary in order to reduce poverty rates. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared that his $15 wage proposal – now an impending reality for many in the state – “will lift more than 250,000 New Yorkers out of poverty.” Skeptics of the policy have highlighted the potential for job loss among employees that a $15 minimum…
• 

  Fairness vs. Flexibility: An Evaluation of the District of Columbia’s Proposed Scheduling Regulations

  March 2016

  The debate over whether to raise the minimum wage has expanded in recent years to encompass demands for additional workplace benefits. These include health care, paid sick leave, and most recently the availability of a “fair” schedule. The City of San Francisco was the first to enact legislation on this latter point, enacting the Formula Retail Employee Rights Ordinance on July 3, 2015. San Francisco’s law requires most “chain” stores, as well…
• 

  The Impact of a $12 Minimum Wage in Maine

  March 2016

  Proponents of a higher minimum wage in Maine, led by the state AFL-CIO, have gathered enough signatures to put their proposed $12 minimum wage to a vote this November. Executive Director Matt Schlobohm defended the proposed 60 percent increase with a moral appeal: “Working people deserve fair wages…they deserve better than poverty for full-time work.” The accumulated evidence, including a new analysis specific to Maine, shows that a wage increase will not deliver…
• 

  What’s in a (Brand) Name?: A Comparison Of Minimum Wage Effects on Franchise and Non-Franchise Businesses

  January 2016

  One unique feature of recent local minimum wage battles is the focus on franchise businesses. In Seattle, for instance, a minimum wage of $15 took effect in 2015 with multiple phase-in paths that depend on the business size (as measured by number of employees), with smaller businesses being granted more time to adapt to the mandate. Under the Seattle law, an independent, locally-owned franchise business…
• 

  The Effects of Minimum Wage Increases on Means-Tested Government Assistance

  December 2015

  One of the more popular contemporary arguments for raising the minimum wage is that it will save taxpayers money. Specifically, proponents of a higher minimum wage have argued that taxpayers “subsidize” employers who provide entry-wage jobs, and that raising the minimum wage could reduce employees’ reliance on social safety net programs. The proof to support such a claim has so far been thin. One 2015…