March 24, 2016

Do Part-Time Employees Want “Fairness” or Flexibility?

Unions and the advocacy groups they fund in the District of Colombia have a new grievance: part-time schedules. Legislation under consideration by the City Council – based on a similar ordinance passed in San Francisco last year –  would require employers to provide schedules three weeks in advance, and penalize them…
March 21, 2016

About Those Economists Who Support Cuomo’s $15 Wage Proposal

Governor Cuomo’s $15 minimum wage proposal has been criticized by a diverse group of legislators, small businesses, nonprofits, and newspaper editorial pages, all of whom have pointed out the obvious: A $15 wage mandate will have serious consequences. But recently, a group of 79 economists came to Cuomo’s defense, declaring…
March 16, 2016

A History Lesson for Minimum Wage Proponents

Today, labor advocates are celebrating the 20th anniversary of David Card and Alan Krueger’s controversial book Myth and Measurement. The best-known research it contains found that a wage hike increased employment in New Jersey relative to neighboring Pennsylvania. It’s a convenient story for proponents, but it’s also incomplete: This infamous study was…
New York March 15, 2016

Cuomo’s Reckless Drive for $15

Governor Andrew Cuomo’s RV trip around the state to pitch his $15 minimum wage proposal has been fueled with lofty claims and misleading facts. In an ad in today’s New York Post, we take on his boldest claim, that there’s “no credible evidence” that his proposed minimum wage will hurt the…
Maine March 2, 2016

The Impact of a $12 Minimum Wage in Maine

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. But earlier today a coalition representing approximately ten thousand Maine business owners announced their support for a competing $10 minimum wage proposal. Last year,…
March 1, 2016

Even Proponents Agree: Wage Hikes Cause Job Loss

Erica Payne is the President of an organization called Patriotic Millionaires, which made a name for itself during the lame duck session of Congress in 2010 when they demanded higher taxes for America’s wealthy, themselves included. More recently, the millionaires have taken to supporting a higher minimum wage as a…
February 18, 2016

Busting Myths About the Minimum Wage

Proponents of a higher minimum wage are determined to make their case no matter how much evidence piles up against them. But in doing so they conveniently avoid the evidence that directly challenges their arguments. We looked at several of the popular arguments proponents of a higher wage make, and…
February 16, 2016

Union Think Tank’s Rose-Colored Conclusions

Recently, the union-backed Economic Policy Institute released a study that determined, “raising wages would significantly reduce reliance on public assistance.” They reached this conclusion after examining eligibility data on federal and state means-tested programs for low-income families and making projections based on this information. But in doing so they conveniently…
February 3, 2016

Media Matters vs. The Truth about Wage Hikes

Proponents of a higher minimum wage are determined to make their case no matter how much evidence piles up against them. It’s like a lawyer who knows he’s been handed a bad case but the law says he must be a zealous advocate no matter how insurmountable the odds. Case…
Kentucky February 1, 2016

Policy Brief: The Impact of a $10.10 Minimum Wage in Kentucky

Policy Brief: The Impact of a $10.10 Minimum Wage in Kentucky Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo recently introduced legislation to raise the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. Stumbo and other proponents argue that a minimum wage increase will, on net, be a benefit for Kentucky employees. But the evidence, including a…