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EPI senior research fellow Michael Saltsman on why minimum-wage hikes can make teen unemployment even worse.
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Rhode Island governor has signed a minimum wage hike to help the State's lowest earners get by and as -- a chronic.
Now brace for the loss of jobs for teenagers Michael Saltzman is senior -- Fellow -- the employment policies institute.
And he says this may.
Backfire Michael thanks for being with us you know you put out some numbers -- the day.
Unemployment in eighteen states for -- is now over 25% and Washington DC's hit that 52%.
But at minimum wage hike will actually make this worse.
That's right yeah flick with the research says son teen employment in minimum wages it's when you make it more expensive to.
Hire and train people -- less skilled less experienced -- Maria are going to be able to find a job.
-- it's especially case in Rhode Island where the teen unemployment rate is close to 30%.
The other gonna make it couple cents or rather you know 3040 cents more expensive -- showered hire and train teens.
And so if you're gonna become more attractive for if you're a grocery store maybe did -- towards having customers check themselves out instead of hiring eighteen cent bag groceries.
-- now -- research says that if they did this nationwide and raised the minimum wage.
That that you could lose upwards -- -- half a million jobs if we do that and yet there's a bill love now pending in congress to do that crack.
That's right there's a bill that would raise the minimum wage to 980.
It would also index it to rise each year for inflation and young couple economist at Cornell University.
Estimated the impact of that and found that and in nationwide there is going to be a serious jobs impact and so.
At a time when our teen unemployment rate has been above 20% for close to four years.
I mean we have teams were looking for jobs for six months or more.
This is certainly not the time to be you know raising an -- case by 35% of the cost iron train.
Read my clearly say that for every 10% increase in the minimum wage teen unemployment at small businesses.
Falls by as much as 9% well why don't.
Politicians continue to do this if we know what happens as a result.
You know minimum wages tend to pull really well I -- there was a poll released recently and it found that upwards of 80% of people.
Odd to support an increase in the minimum wage and so I think especially during an election year.
It's an issue that debt conservatives have a tough time talking about some times and so it's a good way to.
To draw contrast but -- you know the interesting thing is is if you look at polling and you ask people.
I if they'd still supported if they knew of some of these consequences that would make it more difficult for the least -- teens -- work.
I support drops dramatically or C international that -- -- that support drops below 50%.
If people are informed of some of these unintended consequences.
All right nicely done thank you Michael Saltzman appreciate your being here let us -- thanks for having me okay.
