Currently, 52% of fast-food workers get aid from public programs like food stamps. Raising the minimum wage reduces this need, which in turn will cut the cost of these programs. A Berkeley Labor Center study found, “the cost of public assistance to families of workers in the fast-food industry is nearly $7 billion per year” and “…fast-food workers’ families…receive an annual average of $1.04 billion in food stamp benefits.” And that’s just fast-food workers— 56% of the workers who make the minimum wage work in other industries. A minimum wage increase that ripples up through the low-wage end of our economy could reduce the need for government assistance and, consequently, spending on safety net programs.
Source: Campaign for America’s Future, 12/3/13, Minimum Wage
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