Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022
Does Ron Johnson favor letting the market set wages over having a federal minimum wage?
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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