WAGE GROWTH

As inflation continues to rise at a record pace, nearly 75-80% of Americans have stated that their wages have failed to keep pace with the rising cost of goods & services. Increasing wages for works has long been used as a political tool to earn votes during an election cycle. The left continues to advocate for a set increase in the minimum "living wage" nationwide. Recently, they have promoted the idea of a $15, $20, and even $25 nationwide minimum wage. 

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While increasing workers' wages to keep pace with the rising cost of living is necessary, we have to stop thinking in terms of black and white solutions. Just because something sounds good on paper, does not mean it will have the desired result in a real-world situation. When businesses, are faced with rising costs of labor, they are forced to lay-off workers, cut hours, turn to automation, and raise prices. This is especially true with small to medium sized businesses who do not have the financial means to operate under a heavier financial burden.

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To stimulate wage growth and limit the burdensome impact on businesses, we need to start thinking about how to make things work for all parties involved. Under my plan, businesses would be incentivized into increasing the wages of their employees through government tax credits that would be calculated based upon the percentage that an employer raises his or her employees' wages. Because not all businesses can handle a one-size fits all this plan allows for business owner to raise their employees' wages in a manner that will not cripple their operation. The more an employer raises wages, the bigger the tax credit they would receive. Therefore, employers would be more likely to offer significant wage increases to their employees because they would be reimbursed for the added costs via yearly tax rebates.