News release follows Gov. Evers call to raise the minimum wage in Wisconsin
NFIB: Minimum Wage Increase Will Result in Job Losses
MADISON, March 1, 2019—NFIB’s state director for Wisconsin, Bill G. Smith, says Governor Evers’ call for an increase in the state’s minimum wage is unfortunate and a misguided policy that will have a negative impact on our state’s small business employers and their employees.
“Raising the minimum wage is more about the politics of the moment than about the realities of the economy,” Smith said, “a government mandate to increase the wage rate for entry level workers may score political points, but it will have a serious negative impact on the ability of our employers to provide meaningful job opportunities for a vital share of our workforce.”
“If the Governor wants to tell small employers to give their employees a raise, then these firms will need to somehow respond,” Smith said, “they may increase prices, perhaps eliminate jobs, likely reduce workforce opportunities.” When the NFIB Research Center looked at the impact of a $15 minimum wage in Illinois, for example, it concluded a mandatory wage increase would cost the state 93,000 jobs over a 10-year period.
“Wisconsin can’t afford to lose thousands of jobs,” Smith said. “If the governor and legislators are serious about improving the lives of working families, they should focus less on wages and more on creating an environment where small businesses can grow and create good-paying jobs.”
NFIB is the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization. To learn more about NFIB in Wisconsin, www.NFIB.com/WI and follow @NFIB_WI on Twitter.
