Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses across the country are still struggling under the weight of government restrictions and mandates. Now, they’re in for another ugly welcome this New Year—at least, in the 84 places that are raising their mandatory minimum wages in 2022. When states or local governments pass minimum wage increases,…
One of the certainties of a market economy is change. As Joseph Schumpeter famously observed, innovation moves the world forward, but not painlessly. The evolutionary process of “creative destruction” introduces new industries and new opportunities, but in its wake, less efficient industries and jobs are left behind. Even longstanding industries can struggle to keep up…
“I’m not straightening ties for $8 an hour.” The words came from my friend’s mouth. The boss had just passed by and asked us to make some order out of the mess on the table at the men’s clothing store where we both worked. I was a teenager but I can recall how his comment…
by Micah J. Fleck Yes, you read that right. Across 19 different states, mandatory minimum wage hikes are to be forced upon business owners, which may threaten the employment security of current workers. According to one report: It will be a happy New Year indeed for millions of the lowest-paid U.S. workers. Nineteen states, including…
By Blake Neff Anti-discrimination “ban the box” laws, which prohibit employers from asking about criminal history on job applications, may serve to increase racial discrimination by employers, a new study indicates. The push to “ban the box” has been popular with the NAACP and the Obama administration, which argue it makes it easier for convicts to reintegrate…
By Connor D. Wolf Former “Wheel of Fortune” Host Chuck Woolery denounced those trying to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour as economically illiterate Sunday. Woolery became the first host of the popular game show in 1975, where he stayed until 1981. He is also an outspoken conservative and has not shied away from calling out…
By Chris White Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton apologized Monday for saying in March that she would put coal mines “out of business” after being confronted by a former West Virginia coal miner. The former secretary of state called the comments a “misstatement” during her coal country campaign ahead of Kentucky’s May 17 Democratic primary election. Clinton is…
By Kathryn Watson Federal workers are far more likely to be audited by the IRS or get arrested for drunk driving than they are to be fired from the civil service payroll for poor performance or misconduct. The odds are one-in-175 for the IRS audit and one-in-200 for the drunk driving arrest, while the odds for a fed…
By Andrew Follett Obama’s proposed oil tax would do a tremendous amount of damage to the economy, according to a recent report. A report published Tuesday by the conservative Tax Foundation found Obama’s plan to slap a $10 tax on each barrel of oil would kill 137,000 American jobs and cost the U.S. economy hundreds…
Martin O’Malley is taking the Bernie Sanders approach to getting headlines: say ridiculously stupid things. O’Malley astutely observed that animals don’t have employment problems. Of course, they also don’t have any system of trade, commerce, or an organized society– but whatever. This is the Democratic debate; it’s a contest to see who can say the…