NFIB’s state director for Illinois, Mark Grant, responded to the passage of Senate Bill 1, which will raise the state minimum wage from $8.25 an hour to $15 an hour by 2025, by calling it “a shortsighted decision that was based more on politics than coming up with good policy.”
“The legislators who voted to raise the starting wage by 80% undoubtedly scored a few political points, but they’re missing the big picture,” he said.
“Employers, especially small businesses, aren’t sitting on piles of cash. If the government tells them to give workers a raise, they’re going to have to find the money someplace. They can do that by raising prices, but it’s more likely they’ll do it by cutting jobs. The NFIB Research Center has estimated that raising Illinois’ minimum wage to $15 an hour will result in the loss of over 93,000 jobs over a 10-year period.
“If we’re serious about helping working families, our elected officials will focus less on wages and more on solving our debt and pension crises and creating an environment where small businesses can grow and create good-paying jobs.”
Click here to thank legislators who stood with small business and opposed the wage increase!
