A new study found minimum wage increases have little or no impact on job loss.
The Economic Policy Institute study comes as federal lawmakers consider raising the minimum wage. The New York Legislature considered a bill to raise the state's $15 hourly minimum wage over the next three years and index it to match inflation. The bill never made it out of committee.
Ben Zipperer, senior economist for the Economic Policy Institute and the report's author, said minimum wage has consistently raised low-wage workers' income.
"They have done so in a way that doesn't cause any big negative employment shocks or big disruptions in the local economy," Zipperer explained. "Minimum wages have largely been successful in their primary aim of making it easier for low-wage workers to make ends meet."
New York's minimum wage bill would have raised the pay of about 3 million workers statewide by more than $3,000 a year. Zipperer pointed out earlier research using outdated methods is part of the reason raising the minimum wage has become so controversial. The report showed some of the smaller effects of an increase are declines in employee turnover, because jobs paying more are more attractive to workers.
Vice President Kamala Harris is floating the idea of raising the federal minimum wage but by how much is yet to be determined. It's been 15 years since Congress last raised the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour. Zipperer argued not raising it harms workers.
"That's really putting downward pressure on a lot of low-wage workers' wages," Zipperer pointed out. "They're earning much less than they would, were we to actually have an updated minimum wage, rather than the outdated minimum wage standard that we have today."
He added most of the "scare stories" he hears about minimum wage are more hypothetical than reality. He noted while it is more expensive to hire workers, being able to retain them actually saves employers money. The study showed due to inflation, the federal minimum wage value has fallen 29% since the last time it increased.
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More than 5,000 workers died from traumatic injuries while on the job in 2023, and 135,000 more died from occupational diseases, according to a new report by the AFL-CIO.
Maryland had the fourth lowest number of workplace deaths, with 69 workers dying on the job. But the report also noted that attacks on regulations could worsen the problem in the future.
An executive order by President Donald Trump requires any federal agency to rescind 10 regulations before a new one can be issued.
That includes federal agencies like the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, or OSHA.
Ray Baker, Maryland director of the Baltimore-D.C. Building Trades Council, explained that construction work can be dangerous and federal regulations from agencies like OSHA are necessary for the health and safety of workers on the job site.
"Federal worker protections are vital for all workers, specifically those in the construction trades," said Baker. "The work that we do is so highly skilled and there is such a potential or chance for danger or harm."
The Trump administration has defended its executive order as a way to stop what it calls a "regulatory blitz" from the previous administration, claiming that deregulation will create jobs and stop inflation.
Trump has also fired workers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the nation's only worker safety research agency.
In past years, the agency has been tasked with investigating safety concerns at factories and facilities around the country.
Baker said many union contracts offer guarantees on worker safety, but he said he worries that federal oversight of those contracts is weakening.
"If these organizations or institutions are not adequately staffed - if they do not have the resources, the attention, the time, and the money necessary to be able to put in place and enforce mechanisms that keep workers safe," said Baker, "I am very, very concerned what that could mean for a host of workers in the construction industry."
The lives of more than 700,000 workers have been saved due to regulations from the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which created OSHA, according to the report.
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Corrections officers and their supporters are rallying in Lansing today, urging lawmakers to stop stalling and act on bills to give them the same pension benefits as state police.
Under the legislation, corrections officers would move from a 401(k)-only plan to a hybrid pension system shared with state police, a step aimed at improving hiring and retention in the Corrections Department.
Byron Osborn, president of the Michigan Corrections Organization, said he questions the integrity of the legislative process and is frustrated the bills passed both chambers with bipartisan support last year but are still being withheld from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk.
"We believe 100% that this was an orchestration of sorts," Osborn contended. "We don't know who orchestrated it, or why. But the fact remains that nobody has offered up any reason as to why these bills still have not been sent to the governor."
Osborn noted the Senate filed a lawsuit against the House for not sending the bills to the governor and they are awaiting a Michigan Court of Appeals date. Meanwhile, Rep. Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, the Speaker of the House, said he is seeking a legal review before advancing bills passed in the previous session.
Osborn emphasized Michigan's corrections system has faced a staffing crisis for almost a decade and his organization has spent years working with lawmakers to fix the retirement plan for their officers. He warned the delay in passing the pension bills is hurting their recruitment efforts.
"We've got a number of our facilities running anywhere from 25% to 35% short, which as you can imagine is causing just a ton of mandatory overtime," Osborn pointed out. "It's causing more and more people to resign and find other jobs because they just can't keep up the pace and it's dangerous."
As of early this year, data showed the Michigan Department of Corrections had more than 2,200 job vacancies, including nearly a thousand corrections officer positions. The staffing shortage drove overtime costs to almost $120 million in fiscal year 2024.
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Minnesota labor groups said to keep the state's economy running, they need a more welcoming tone from policymakers. At a rally Tuesday, many members argued it is not what is happening under the Trump administration.
A coalition of unions gathered at the State Capitol as part of the "Hands Off" movement, which has led almost daily demonstrations in cities across the U.S. The events highlight the downsizing of federal agencies and aid since President Donald Trump returned to office.
Shari Wojtowicz, president of the Minnesota State Council of the Communications Workers of America, said it is not only about their members.
"Union rights are under attack but that means workers' rights in general are under attack," Wojtowicz asserted. "We just really wanna make sure that we're highlighting the fact that workers' rights are human rights."
The union pointed to the administration's handling of the National Labor Relations Board. The union said it is worried the board will not have the capacity to help oversee union elections, potentially slowing collective bargaining.
Some White House actions dealing with labor have wound up in the courts. The administration deems its moves necessary for government accountability and efficiency.
The union represents workers who install broadband infrastructure all over the country. State and federal investments are already providing the funding needed to close broadband gaps and Wojtowicz noted the next step is to ensure safe working conditions for crews.
"Companies got money to lay that infrastructure and in some instances, they're hiring subcontractors or contractors of contractors, so there's less oversight," Wojtowicz explained.
She added unions secured new training standards at the state level last year but in this year's legislative session, there have been attempts to roll back some of the language in the law. The unions said it is another reason why wider federal enforcement of labor protections is needed.
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