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FACT BRIEF

Does Ron Johnson favor letting the market set wages over having a federal minimum wage?

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
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YES

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson has said that he favors letting the market determine wages rather than having the federal government set a minimum wage:

"The best thing is have the marketplace take care of it rather than government set a minimum wage that then starts eliminating jobs," the Wisconsin Republican said at an October debate with Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, his Democratic opponent in the Nov. 8 election.

In the past, Johnson has raised concerns about the potential consequences of raising the minimum wage, such as the acceleration of automating entry-level jobs.

However, in 2021, Johnson stated, "I would be in favor of increasing the minimum wage to some extent." At the October 2022 debate, he acknowledged he would consider supporting indexing the minimum wage to inflation without specifying a dollar amount.

The federal minimum wage has not changed since 2009, when it was set at $7.25 an hour.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Mandela Barnes vs. Ron Johnson: 2022 debate between US Senate candidates from Wisconsin
Ron Johnson Senator from Wisconsin Higher pay, but only if you keep your job
The Observatory Though missing context, Ron Johnson right on minimum wage
C-SPAN Senator Johnson says he backs increase in minimum wage
NBC15 Ron Johnson on minimum wage in 2021
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Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.