Survey: 62% of Americans Favor $15 Federal Minimum Wage
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A national minimum wage hike is gaining support, with 40% strongly backing the measure being pushed by President Biden and some states, according to a Pew Research Center survey.
Americans are showing increased support for a $15 federal minimum wage, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Of those polled, 62% said they favor raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, with just 38% opposed.
The survey comes as the Biden administration and some states pushes for a hike in the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 an hour. As people debate the positives and negatives of raising the minimum wage, a recent report released by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office indicates the change would result in less poverty and fewer jobs.
Among those Pew surveyed who are against raising the minimum wage, 71% said it should be raised but to less than $15. Only 27% polled said it should stay at $7.25.
For those in agreement with a $15 wage, more than half (54%) said there is not enough support in Congress for the Biden administration’s wage hike proposal, but that there should be some increase even if it's lower than the $15 goal. An overwhelming number of Republicans (72%) disagreed with a $15 federal minimum wage as opposed to the 87% of Democrats who are in favor.
When broken down by race, 89% of Blacks want a $15 minimum wage followed by Hispanics (76%), Asians (73%) and whites (51%). In addition, 67% of women are in favor of the raise and a little more than half of men (55%).
Seven-in-10 lower-income Americans surveyed believe there should be a $15 minimum wage, while 58% from middle-income and 55% from upper-income households agreed.
The analysis also found that people living in areas with higher minimum wages are more likely to say they’re for the $15 an hour minimum wage. There is even a seven percentage point increase among Republicans who live in states with the $7.25 wage when compared to those living in areas with a minimum wage of $12 or more an hour.
A state’s minimum wage is usually set by its legislators.
The Pew survey, which was conducted with 5,109 U.S. adults, can be viewed here.
Brent Woodie is associate editor at Route Fifty.
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