Arizona's minimum wage was raised from $5.15 to $6.75 per hour last month.
Some Valley employers, especially those in the food industry, say payroll budgets have risen so much that they're cutting hours, instituting hiring freezes and laying off employees. And teens are among the first workers to go.Companies maintain the new wage was raised to $6.75 per hour from $5.15 per hour to help the breadwinners in working-poor families. Teens typically have other means of support.
A small percentage of workers have benefited but the teens who are trying to save money for college and gain work experience are going to find this harder to do. (I don't even want to think about what they're going to find to do to occupy their after-school time now.)
It seems to me that this may create more older minimum wage workers in the future.
Posted by marybeth at February 10, 2007 11:27 AM PoliticsSigh. I understand the need for people to keep up with the cost of living... but $1.60 an hour increase in one year???? That will cause a lot of smaller companies to go under...
Posted by vw bug at February 11, 2007 12:10 PM