More than 500 Economists Call for a More Comprehensive Approach to Address Poverty

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 500 economists, led by three Nobel laureates and several former Administration officials, warned that a mandatory increase in the minimum wage is a poorly targeted anti-poverty measure and urged them to develop a comprehensive plan that truly helps address poverty in America.

In an open letter on economistletter.com—sent in conjunction with today's Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on the Harkin minimum wage bill —the economists urged the committee to carefully consider the recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report, which underscores the damage that a federal minimum wage increase would have. According to CBO, raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour would cost the economy 500,000 jobs by 2016—hurting entry-level workers with little experience or vocational skills.

"To address the very real concerns of out of work and low-wage workers, many of our nation's policymakers point to raising the minimum wage as a 'silver bullet' solution," the economists wrote. "Although increasing wages through legislative action may sound like a great idea, poverty is a serious, complex issue that demands a comprehensive and thoughtful solution that targets those Americans actually in need."

Signers of the letter include:

Nobel Laureates Vernon Smith, Edward Prescott and Eugene Fama; Kathleen Cooper, former Undersecretary of Commerce; Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Manhattan Policy Institute for Policy Research, former chief economist, U.S. Department of Labor; Doug Holtz-Eakin, American Action Forum; former director, Congressional Budget Office;  Glenn Hubbard, Columbia University; former chair, Council of Economic Advisers; Greg Mankiw, Harvard University; former chair, Council of Economic Advisers; Jim Miller, former director, Office of Management and Budget; June O'Neill, Baruch College, CUNY; former director, Congressional Budget Office; Harvey Rosen, Princeton University; former chair, Council of Economic Advisers; and George Shultz, Hoover Institution; former Secretary of Treasury; former Secretary of State; former Secretary of Labor; and former director, Office of Management and Budget.

The economists concluded the letter urging federal policymakers "to examine creative, comprehensive policy solutions that truly help address poverty and increase upward mobility by fostering growth in our nation's economy."

The full text of the letter is below and available at economistletter.com.

The "recovery" from the Great Recession has been anemic. Business growth, job creation, and consumer spending remain tenuous. Since the official trough in June 2009, median income has fallen, real wages have barely risen, unemployment remains elevated, and because so many Americans have left the workforce entirely, the fraction of the population working is below the pre-recession level.

To address the very real concerns of out of work and low-wage workers, many of our nation's policymakers point to raising the minimum wage as a "silver bullet" solution. Although increasing wages through legislative action may sound like a great idea, poverty is a serious, complex issue that demands a comprehensive and thoughtful solution that targets those Americans actually in need.

As economists, we understand the fragile nature of this recovery and the dire financial realities of the nearly 50 million Americans living in poverty. To alleviate these burdens for families and improve our local, regional, and national economies, we need a mix of solutions that encourage employment, business creation, and boost earnings rather than across-the-board mandates that raise the cost of labor.

One of the serious consequences of raising the minimum wage is that business owners saddled with a higher cost of labor will need to cut costs, or pass the increase to their consumers in order to make ends meet. Many of the businesses that pay their workers minimum wage operate on extremely tight profit margins, with any increase in the cost of labor threatening this delicate balance.

The Congressional Budget Office's (CBO) most recent report underscores the damage that a federal minimum wage increase would have. According to CBO, raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour would cost the economy 500,000 jobs by 2016. Many of these jobs are held by entry-level workers with limited experience or vocational skills, the very employees meant to be helped.

The minimum wage is also a poorly targeted anti-poverty measure. Extra earnings generated by such an increase in the minimum wage would not substantially help the poor. As CBO noted, "many low-wage workers are not members of low-income families." In fact, CBO estimates that less than 20 percent of the workers who would see a wage increase to $10.10 actually live in households that earn less than the federal poverty line.

For these reasons, we encourage federal policymakers to examine creative, comprehensive upward mobility by fostering growth in our nation's economy.

CONTACT:  Bryan DeAngelis, (202) 331-1002

SOURCE economistletter.com