When minimum wage is increased, most people see their hour’s decline along with their employment. As explained by George Reisman, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Economics at Pepperdine University, "The higher wages are, the higher costs of production are. The higher costs of production are; the higher prices are. The higher prices are, the smaller the quantities of goods and services demanded and the number of workers employed in producing them" (Reisman, para. 1). To put this into simpler terms, there is a ripple effect that occurs when the minimum wage is increased. There are consequences that slowly appear as the minimum wage begins to become higher.
On one hand, many people believe that productivity and economic growth would be increased tremendously if the minimum wage were to be increased. According to one authority, America’s income has grown by over 100% since the late 1960’s, "If our standard for minimum wages had kept pace with overall income growth in the American economy, it would now be $21.16 per hour" (Babones, para. 7 &