According to the U.S. Department of Labor some small business owners think an increase in the federal minimum wage would potentially benefit their bottom line. These business owners see the wage increase as a way to lift consumer purchasing power and help the economy.
Here are five quotes form small business owners, some who support and some who are leery of increasing minimum wage requirements:
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1. "It's absurd that the minimum wage is still just $7.25, while people have rising expenses from rent and transportation to tuition and student loan repayments. When employers pay decent wages, businesses do better, customers are happier and our neighborhoods are stronger. Raising the minimum wage is an essential ingredient in Pennsylvania's progress." - Amy Edelman, co-owner of Night Kitchen Bakery in Philadelphia,
according to Business for a Fair Minimum Wage.
2. "We'll have to just wait and see. Whatever it is. But I'm not the only one in this boat, all the restaurants, they're all the same thing." - Roy Hulbert, owner of Kennewick, WA Jiffy Car Wash, on how a state minimum wage increase will cause him to make changes to the way he does business,
according to NBC Right Now.
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3. "As a business owner, I relish good math, and the math of raising the minimum wage results in positive growth for local businesses like mine. The average worker earning under $10.10 now would earn $1,300 more a year with a minimum wage raise. That money would allow a worker to buy necessities for their family, including protecting their family's future. The math works for everyone." - David Hausman, owner of Hausman Insurance Agency in Bluebell, PA according to Business for a Fair Minimum Wage.
4. "A minimum wage increase makes straightforward economic sense. It means more money in the hands of people who are going to spend it." - Lew Prince, Managing Partner, Vintage Vinyl, St. Louis, MO according to Business for a Fair Minimum Wage.
5. "I'm not going to pay a 14-year-old $9 an hour with no experience, maturity or work ethic. What this does is eliminate the opportunity for young people to get started in the work force." - Delores Riley, owner of Gramma's School House Childcare and Learning Center in New Jersey,
according to The New York Times.
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