Wall street Journal opinion Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wall street Journal opinion Article - Essay Example However, latest research findings indicate different outcomes. They reveal that increasing the minimum wage does not seem to lower employment. This has challenged the typical model of the effect increase in minimum wage. An increasing set of academic papers show that increase in minimum wage does not notably decrease employment among fast-food workers and teens. For instance, following a 25 percent increase in minimum wage in San Jose, California, there was no result in the area’s fast food franchise which led to suspension of employment. According to an article in Wall Street Journal, a ballot initiative in 2012 which was started by San Jose State University students led to a 2 dollar increase in minimum wage in the city. It was expected that this would result into job losses. However, data reveals that this was not the case (Morath 1). Employment in the fast-food industry increased after higher wages were in place. By the beginning of 2014, the pace of increase in employment in San Jose region was still more than the improvement in the whole state of California. Almost half of the minimum wage employees are hired in food service (Morath 1). San Jose city accounts for approximately half the population in the metro region, which comprises of Santa Clara and Sunnyvale. The minimum wage rate is said to be $8 in those neighboring cities. These results are far from conclusive. They still appear to fit researches that established that minimum wage increases at a local area have not resulted in notable job losses in fast-food restaurants (Morath 1). Prior researches in contrast to the recent findings concluded that 10% rise in the minimum wage decreased teen employment by 1 to 3 percent. The reasons that are offered for these new controversial findings consist of problematic methodologies, poor data and the likelihood of monopoly power. Employers