November 20, 2018

by Steve Stofka

Several readers had questions about the minimum wage article a few days ago. Why did I suggest 40% of the average wage? Why not 80%? How much of a difference is there between the average and median wage?

In May 2017, the annual BLS occupational survey found the average wages of all workers was a third higher than the median (Note #1). This survey is conducted only once a year and published six months after completion. I suggested 40% of the average regional wage. That would equal 53% of the median wage. I am not saying that 40% is a livable wage. Only that it might be a practical benchmark that moderates of both parties could support.

In 2015, the BLS estimated that there were 870,000 people making minimum wage. Over one million earned below minimum wage because they were in occupations where tipping is customary, and they have their own lower minimum wage. 870,000 workers out of 150 million is ½ of one percent. So why all the brouhaha about the minimum wage?

Approximately 42% of all workers make less than $15 an hour (Note #2). The percentage is closer to half of workers when adding union workers whose contract wages, particularly starting wages, are pegged to the minimum wage. A 2015 Forbes article quotes the UFCW:
“But the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union says that pegging its wages to the federal minimum is commonplace. On its website, the UFCW notes that ‘oftentimes, union contracts are triggered to implement wage hikes in the case of minimum wage increases.’ ” (Note #3)

I like several aspects of the Raise the Wage Act (Note #4) put forth by Bernie Sanders and Patty Murray. I like the gradual nature of the increases and the indexing of the wage. This is something that economists have been suggesting for decades. The summary published on Bernie’s web site (Note #4) is an embarrassment of errors:

“The Raise the Wage Act is front loaded to provide the biggest impact to workers. Upon enactment, the federal minimum wage would be increased from $7.25 to $9.25. The following increases are: $10.10 (2018); $11 (2019); $12 (2020); $13 (2012); $13.50 (2013); $14.20 (2023); $15.00 (2024).” They can’t even get their date sequence correct. Their calculations of the aggregate raise in wages is half of my estimate using BLS and BEA data (Note #5). Large companies like Wal-Mart are sure to lobby against the 14% cut in profits.

As the Slate op-ed notes, a national minimum wage of $15 is an “economic gamble” in a global economy that beckons business owners with lower cost labor. I am suggesting a compromise between Bernie Sanders’ proposal and the current policy.

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Notes:
1. BLS Occupational Survey
2. Slate article on raising the minimum wage.
3. Forbes article
4. Summary  of the Raise the Wage Act
5. My estimate: The summary of the Raise the Wage Act says “Increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024 would give workers $144 billion in additional wages by 2024.” The Bureau of Economic Analysis’ current estimate of wages and salaries is almost $9 trillion. Using a low estimate of 2% annual wage growth would equal $10 trillion in 2024. There are currently 150 million workers. Estimating low employment growth of just one million workers a year gives an average of $64,000 per year. Let’s say that the 42% of wage earners who will be affected by a higher minimum wage make only 40% of that average, or $25,600 a year. That averages $12.80 an hour. The total wages that will be affected equals almost $1.7 trillion. The Raise the Wage Act is estimating that the average effect will be 8.5%. Using the estimates above gives us an effect twice that size, or 17.2% – close to $300 billion annually. That only includes the wages. Add in 25% in taxes and mandatory employer insurance costs equals $375 billion. Corporate profits after tax are currently $2 trillion. Estimating that they increase by 5% per year produces an estimate of $2.7 trillion in profits. $370 billion in additional costs is 14% of profits. Large companies like Wal-Mart are sure to lobby against such a bill.