Readers React: The trickle-up economics of minimum wage increases

To the editor: Economist David Neumark implies that raising the minimum wage would decrease employment. (“A minimum wage hike is the wrong fix,” Opinion, March 18)

In fact, the opposite is true. When workers have more money to spend, demand increases in many sectors of the economy, boosting employment. More money in circulation means that more people can afford to eat out, buy a car, go out to a movie, buy new clothes or buy a washing machine. The list goes on.

I guess Neumark is content to allow the poor working class to have to go on welfare and food stamps, forcing taxpayers to foot the bill. In the meantime, the heads of profitable corporations continue to make more money by widening the margins at their companies.

Richard H. Smith, Cerritos

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To the editor: When discussing increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour, there is one scenario that few address.

If I am an assistant supervisor or just an employee making $16 or $17 per hour and my supervisor is making, say, $22 per hour, we both will expect to be paid more (and rightly so) when a new employee is hired and paid $15 per hour.

It seems to me the owner of the business has a few choices: make less money, raise prices or go with fewer employees.

Orrin Turbow, Oxnard

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