In-Depth: Does Ohio need to work toward raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour?
In-Depth: Does Ohio need to raise its minimum wage to $15?
and last updated 2021-04-14 07:27:03-04
CLEVELAND â Is now the time for Ohio to start working toward raising its minimum wage from $8.80 to $15 an hour? A new report from Policy Matters Ohio indicates it needs to happen over the next five years.
The new 24-page report issued by Policy Matters Ohio researcher Michael Shields outlines how incrementally moving to $15-an-hour would benefit nearly 1.6 million Ohioans, and would inject $4.9 billion in annual earnings into Ohio.
âIf the policy also extended equal treatment to tipped workers, whose employers are allowed to pay them just half the minimum wage at $4.40, then the benefits raise by another 1.2 billion, to 6.1 billion in benefits for Ohio, Shields said.
April 13, 2021
April 13, 2021
A case for a $15 minimum wage
Ohio’s minimum wage is too low to cover the basic cost of living, and does not reflect the value of work being done by Ohioans in low-paying jobs. At the dawn of the pandemic Ohio workers had made the state wealthier than ever, while their employers managed to rig the economy over four decades to keep more of the gains themselves. In the 40 years from 1979 to 2019, median wages grew 3.9% while 10thpercentile wages grew 1.6%.[5] Since its peak, the minimum wage has lost more than a quarter of its value.
Everyone deserves the chance to lead a healthy life; those who work deserve a wage that dignifies their contribution and covers the basics. Low wages have serious consequences for all Ohioans. Living in poverty creates chronic stress that shortens the lifespan of those who cope with it.