Vermont’s mandated state minimum wage is rising today to 13.18 an hour. That’s, the new legislators know better what starting labor is worth to job creators rate. All in the name of whatever it is their supporters claim these wage mandates do.
New York State’s forced rate is rising as well to $14.20 an hour. Governor Kathy Hochul says, “fair, competitive wages are essential for helping families thrive and attracting top talent to the state.” I assume that’s what the idiot Dems in Vermont believe.
Government mandate wage is the opposite of a competitive one, and it has never been essential for helping families thrive or attracting people to your state. New York has been raising the wage for years, but people are fleeing in droves because, like all Democrat enclaves, it is an act of fraud.
These states have higher living costs driven by higher taxes which also increase the cost of goods and services. Forcing the wage rate up for unskilled labor does that as well. The net result is a loss in income and buying power. It can shower push-up union rates, which typically means dues increases which translates into more campaign buying power for Democrats.
If Democrats cared about thriving families and attracting talent, they’d cut taxes and regulations. Make it easier to start and run a small-to-medium-size business. That creates competition which drives performance innovations. Job creators need to find, train, and keep good talent and look for efficiencies in their process to compete. Those that succeed attract customers who can spend less and get more – making the dollars they have more valuable to everyone in the marketplace.
Government has no such incentive to do any of this and almost always does the opposite.
Mandating what an hour of starting labor is worth is a good example, especially on the current inflation track. It leads to fewer jobs, higher prices, less competition, and fewer choices.
The current labor market is a mess. And yes, many employers are already offering more to start because they can’t find people to work. So in one way, it appears meaningless. But New Hampshire’s minimum wage is 7.25 and has been for a very long time. New Hampshire has also had a higher average rate of starting pay, a stronger labor force, and a better economy – both before, during, and after the government closed businesses against their will.
So, thank you again, Vermont. Your bad decisions have, going on several decades, made New Hampshire a better place to start a business, work, shop, and live. Though to the last point, more than a few Vermonters have crossed the Connecticut river looking for a better deal and a little more economic liberty and took their voting habits with them.
To them, I’d like to say -this might be a great time to move back to Vermont. They have a higher minimum wage. And hey, take a few more Democrats with you when you go.
