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ph: 604-688-2398 fx: 604-688-1963
CAN'T FIND SOMETHING? |
Business in Vancouver December 18-24, 2007; issue 947 Quotes Comments from the BIV-Ipsos Interactive Panel on the minimum wage debate ranged far and wide. Here is a cross-section of that input: “Minimum wage works against those it is intended to help. Free up the economy, and the market will take care of the rest.” “My company does not employ anyone at minimum wage; however, increasing the wage by 25% from $8 to $10 would apply upward pressure to wages in general. The ripple effect could drive a significant increase in overall payroll costs and potentially limit employment opportunities in the very wage bracket that this suggestion is attempting to help. Keep the minimum at the current level or consider a more modest increase. Encourage employers to hire more not fewer people.” “I believe the market, not governments, should dictate wages. I believe it is difficult to find people to work at the minimum wage in this tight labour market. We have trouble finding employees that will work at our starting hourly wage, which is $17 per hour.” “Let the markets dictate wages and allow business to manage their operations.” “Minimum wage is called that for a reason. There is no obligation on anyone’s part to just pay that. Encourage businesses to see a greater value in staff and encourage them to pay more.” “I believe the job market forces many employers to pay well above minimum wage.” “Minimum wage can be effective in allowing a small business owner to start in business. But with increasing success so must the wage.” “I believe that there are other ways in terms of tax relief or subsidized housing that would benefit people on minimum wage.” “The minimum wage should be just that ... a minimum wage ... with some sort of indexing tied to cost of living increases or decreases. Employers will pay temporary employees more if the market demands it or if the quality of work provided by the employee deserves it. Let’s keep government involvement at a minimum.” “Raise the minimum wage rate and be prepared to have lots of little things become more expensive. People are not going to cut there profit margins, they are going to pass on the wage increase to the consumer through product price increases.” “Indexing minimum wage would be difficult to administer from a business perspective, however, regular review of the minimum wage every two or three years would be a good idea rather than leaving it for six years.” “A living wage as a minimum wage is essential to a healthy community and economy.” “The minimum wage is a starting point, it is not the end point. It is a temporary wage for temporary positions, or for those positions where supplemental income is earned – tips, commissions, etc. We should not confuse social assistance and societal engineering with the setting of a minimum wage. We have many appropriate programs to deal with social assistance. The minimum wage does not discriminate; it applies to everyone.” “Raising the minimum wage could cause hardship for many small business owners who are struggling to keep their head above water. Although I sympathize with minimum wage earners, many small business owners simply cannot afford to pay more than the current minimum wage. In fact, if you count the number of hours the average small business owner works, he/she probably makes less than the current minimum wage.” “The current minimum wage is sufficient and market pressures have already ensured that wages greater than $8 are available to people.” For more comments and more survey results, visit Business in Vancouver’s www.biv.comm website. |
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