Letter: Where has minimum wage hike cost jobs?

Recently and according to InDepthNH.org, “the state Senate essentially killed the latest minimum wage bill along party lines 14 Republicans to 10 Democrats voting SB 144 inexpedient to legislate.”

This bill, brought forth for the 10th year in a row by Sen. Donna Soucy, D-Manchester, would have “raised the minimum wage incrementally over two years to $15 an hour.” State Sen. Dan Innis, R-Bradford, said after the vote that the bill creates “winners and losers in our state’s labor market. Some workers lose their jobs due to increases in the minimum wage.”

Can Innis provide info on when and where workers have lost their jobs due to increases in the minimum wage? Innis states, “raising the minimum wage at a time when wage growth in New Hampshire has been significant is unnecessary. Rather we should be working to lessen the economic burdens being faced by Granite State businesses, not exacerbating them, especially as businesses deal with record high ongoing inflationary cost pressures.”

If wage growth has been significant lately, then who has it been significant for? Also, how is it that this significant wage growth is possible if New Hampshire businesses are facing record high ongoing inflationary cost pressures? Isn’t it business owners themselves that choose to raise prices? I know workers do not have that responsibility. And lastly, is continuing to not raise the minimum wage all part of what is known as the “NH advantage?” 

Gene Jonas

Wilton

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