Minimum Wage Hikes: America's Silent Job Killer

[Brian4Liberty]

http://www.rollcall.com/news/minimum_wage_hikes_americas_silent_job_killer_commentary-229491-1.html

Following a string of state-level initiatives to raise minimum wages, Democrats in the Senate are salivating over the prospect of a national wage hike. Beginning with President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, in which he repeatedly pledged to increase the federal minimum wage on an annual basis, this issue has remained on the back burner throughout Obama’s presidency until now, when the administration is in desperate need of a distraction. The current incarnation of the proposal would put a double burden on U.S. businesses at a time when the economy needs them to thrive.

The latest effort comes from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who has authored a proposal to raise the minimum wage from its current rate of $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. In addition to the immediate increase, she also wants the wage indexed to inflation, putting future increases on autopilot.

A one-time increase in the minimum wage is a bad enough idea on its own, but indexing wages based on inflation is even worse. Imagine having to make plans regarding payroll, hiring, firing, raises and benefits when the wages you are allowed to pay are constantly changing based on volatile numbers coming out of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The sheer level of uncertainty — to say nothing of the administrative costs accompanying regular and frequent wage increases — would introduce a level of nightmarish complexity to any attempts at entrepreneurship.

The minimum wage is one of those unique policies that is universally recognized as bad economics, yet persists due to appeals to emotion and politically clouded thinking. Artificially setting prices above the market level creates fewer buyers and more sellers. In the case of labor, this translates to unemployment.
...
More:
http://www.rollcall.com/news/minimum_wage_hikes_americas_silent_job_killer_commentary-229491-1.html

 

[VIDEODROME]

Seems like this is something that should be handled by Unions and collective bargaining. The only role for government would be to enforce the resulting contract agreement.

 

[Contumacious]

Minimum Wage Hikes: America's Silent Job Killer

McDonald's orders 7,000 touchscreen kiosks to replace cashiers

.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

McDonald's orders 7,000 touchscreen kiosks to replace cashiers

Quite an evolution is progress here. Picture touchscreen cash registers & order entry was created so that training would be easier for disposable, low skill, minimum wage workers. The next logical step is to eliminate the low skill worker and have the customer work the "register" themselves. The only problem is with low skilled or unfamiliar customers. There is still a learning curve, and idiosyncrasies to overcome. Not every customer can use these. There will be delays and angry customers.

 

[eduardo89]

McDonald's orders 7,000 touchscreen kiosks to replace cashiers

.

Great machines, they've had them in Spain for a few years. The only bad thing is they don't accept cash.

 

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

Man, this automation kiosk thing does not sound good. Will I still be able to say, "Would you like fries with that?"

 

[Contumacious]

Quite an evolution is progress here. Picture touchscreen cash registers & order entry was created so that training would be easier for disposable, low skill, minimum wage workers. The next logical step is to eliminate the low skill worker and have the customer work the "register" themselves. The only problem is with low skilled or unfamiliar customers. There is still a learning curve, and idiosyncrasies to overcome. Not every customer can use these. There will be delays and angry customers.

Here in the Houston Metropolitan area Kroger , HEB and Home Depot let us work the "cash" register ourselves. If it saves time and $$$$$ I'm all for it.

.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

Here in the Houston Metropolitan area Kroger , HEB and Home Depot let us work the "cash" register ourselves. If it saves time and $$$$$ I'm all for it.

.

Yeah, I've used them at several places. Then again, I've had multiple problems that required the person stationed there to come over and help. One time, at a hardware store, the box had a barcode, but it wasn't the correct one. The part itself had a barcode on it, and it had to be removed from the box to be read. Average customers would never know that.

 

[angelatc]

Yeah, I've used them at several places. Then again, I've had multiple problems that required the person stationed there to come over and help. One time, at a hardware store, the box had a barcode, but it wasn't the correct one. The part itself had a barcode on it, and it had to be removed from the box to be read. Average customers would never know that.

Sure, but the fact remains that you didn't hold up everyone else in line with your problem. One person monitoring the checkout and solving little problems is much more efficient.

 

[DaninPA]

Yeah, I've used them at several places. Then again, I've had multiple problems that required the person stationed there to come over and help. One time, at a hardware store, the box had a barcode, but it wasn't the correct one. The part itself had a barcode on it, and it had to be removed from the box to be read. Average customers would never know that.

Yes but that only requires one person for several registers.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

Sure, but the fact remains that you didn't hold up everyone else in line with your problem. One person monitoring the checkout and solving little problems is much more efficient.

Yes but that only requires one person for several registers.

I'm not a technophobe or against these registers, I'm just saying there are drawbacks. We have had grocery stores with the self-checkout for several years. They aren't always perfect. A person with a problem can hold up one machine, and several people may have problems at once. And the list of items that can't be purchased at self-checkout continues to expand...

 

[DamianTV]

Next step is to just eliminate the Workers completely.

The further destruction of the value of the dollar only creates more incentive to replace workers with automation. Is it possible that in the future, the most profitable businesses will have the Least number of employees? All at the expense of those who depend on these jobs.

---

Lets not forget that when a person is forced on to Federal Assistance because they can not afford to live, those costs are passed on to everyone else because they are NOT absorbed by those with the power to pay people a Livable Wage. Thus, when NO Employer is willing to hire a person for what ever their reason, that person becomes a financial burden on everyone else due to Welfare.

 

[VoluntaryAmerican]

http://www.rollcall.com/news/minimum_wage_hikes_americas_silent_job_killer_commentary-229491-1.html

Tying minimum wage with CPI is already being tried in New Jersey starting Jan.1, yes it will be a huge disaster.