On Aug. 1, the minimum wage rose to its highest level yet
Minnesota Wage Increase is ‘A Job Killer for Everyone’
For the third year in a row, Minnesota businesses are dealing with a minimum wage increase.
Since 2013, the minimum wage in Minnesota has gradually increased from $7.25 per hour for most businesses to $9.50 for large employers and $7.75 for small employers, TV station KIMT recently reported. Many business owners are worried about the potential consequences this mandate will have on their bottom lines.
“It’s a job killer for everyone,” said Dave Svobodny, owner of Diamond Lake ACE Hardware in Minneapolis.
Many business owners say they must pick the lesser of two evils: either raise their prices or cut employee hours, Svobodny said. Some owners just want government to stay out of the wage debate altogether.
“I don’t really love interference in my business by the government at all,” Josh Diaz, owner of Piggy Blues Bar-B-Que, told KIMT. “I think that workers and owners can work out a wage on their own without having someone dictate it.”
Even though the Minnesota Legislature passed a large minimum wage hike in 2014, the minimum wage might rise even higher in Minneapolis. A ballot measure that has garnered more than twice the number of signatures necessary for a public vote but still requires the authorization of the city council for the vote to occur and is certain to be the subject of a court challenge if it passes, would increase the minimum wage to a sky high $15, which has Svobodny worried.
“When it gets to those bigger numbers, all bets are off,” Svobodny said.
