New wage boost puts squeeze on teenage workers across Arizona

[Cold Dirt]

New wage boost puts squeeze on teenage workers across Arizona
Employers are cutting back hours, laying off young staffers
Chad Graham
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 10, 2007 12:00 AM

Oh, for the days when Arizona's high school students could roll pizza dough, sweep up sticky floors in theaters or scoop ice cream without worrying about ballot initiatives affecting their earning power.

That's certainly not the case under the state's new minimum-wage law that went into effect last month.

Some Valley employers, especially those in the food industry, say payroll budgets have risen so much that they're cutting hours, instituting hiring freezes and laying off employees. advertisement







And teens are among the first workers to go.

Companies maintain the new wage was raised to $6.75 per hour from $5.15 per hour to help the breadwinners in working-poor families. Teens typically have other means of support.

Mark Messner, owner of Pepi's Pizza in south Phoenix, estimates he has employed more than 2,000 high school students since 1990. But he plans to lay off three teenage workers and decrease hours worked by others. Of his 25-person workforce, roughly 75 percent are in high school.

"I've had to go to some of my kids and say, 'Look, my payroll just increased 13 percent,' " he said. " 'Sorry, I don't have any hours for you.' "

Messner's monthly cost to train an employee has jumped from $440 to $580 as the turnover rate remains high.

"We go to great lengths to hang on to our high school workers, but there are a lot of kids who come in and get one check in their pocket and feel like they're living large and out the door they go," he said. "We never get our return on investment when that happens."

For years, economists have debated how minimum-wage increases impact the teenage workforce.

The Employment Policies Institute in Washington, which opposed the recent increases, cited 2003 data by Federal Reserve economists showing a 10 percent increase caused a 2 percent to 3 percent decrease in employment.

It also cited comments by notedeconomist Milton Friedman, who maintained that high teen unemployment rates were largely the result of minimum-wage laws.

"After a wage hike, employers seek to take fewer chances on individuals with little education or experience," one institute researcher told lawmakers in 2004.

New wage boost puts squeeze on teenage workers across Arizona

See what happens democrats when you cater to the Unions?

Teenagers who in the past that has counted on summer or after school jobs are now finding out what happens when you support liberal ideas of communism......no jobs....no money.....big govt will take care of you....look at the shining example communism has been around the world.....

Democrats hate a free market and capitalism. They will do whatever it takes to destroy it.......

 

[Stinger]

Hmmmm

So how will the liberals try to spin out of this one? Let me guess a bunch of phony stats that ignore reality.

 

[Kandahar]

Democrats hate a free market and capitalism. They will do whatever it takes to destroy it.......

You're right, the minimum wage is a terrible idea. However, you aren't one to talk about others trying to destroy the free market and capitalism. Xenophobic, anti-immigration laws are anti-competitive as well.

 

[Iriemon]

New wage boost puts squeeze on teenage workers across Arizona

See what happens democrats when you cater to the Unions?

Teenagers who in the past that has counted on summer or after school jobs are now finding out what happens when you support liberal ideas of communism......no jobs....no money.....big govt will take care of you....look at the shining example communism has been around the world.....

Democrats hate a free market and capitalism. They will do whatever it takes to destroy it.......

A couple anecdotes doesn't prove effect.

The min wage laws had a lower rate applicable to under 20 workers working 90 days or less (ie summer jobs).
DOL WHD: Questions and Answers About the Fair Labor Standard Act

I don't know if this rule applies to the law as amended, but I've not heard that that part was repealed.

 

[Stinger]

A couple anecdotes doesn't prove effect.

So these people in the article are abject liars?

 

[Iriemon]

So these people in the article are abject liars?

Is that the deduction you make from my post? Upon what basis?

 

[Stinger]

Is that the deduction you make from my post? Upon what basis?

Your attempts to dismiss them. They claim the minimum wage hike has had and will have an effect on their hiring and hurts teenagers who worked for them. You tried to dismiss it

"A couple anecdotes doesn't prove effect."

So are you saying they are lying?

 

[1069]

Your attempts to dismiss them. They claim the minimum wage hike has had and will have an effect on their hiring and hurts teenagers who worked for them. You tried to dismiss it

"A couple anecdotes doesn't prove effect."

So are you saying they are lying?

Did you read the part of his post where he said the previous minimum wage laws had a clause stating they weren't applicable to those who met certain criteria, including being under the age of twenty?
That clause has not been repealed; on the basis of that, I'd say that yes, they are lying.
By law, there should be a poster outlining the current minimum wage laws posted in a prominent spot in your workplace. Go read them. The exception laws are still in effect, and they exempt employers from having to pay teenagers full wages.

 

[Iriemon]

Your attempts to dismiss them. They claim the minimum wage hike has had and will have an effect on their hiring and hurts teenagers who worked for them. You tried to dismiss it

"A couple anecdotes doesn't prove effect."

So are you saying they are lying?

How does dismissing a couple anecdotes as being the basis for proving a premise lead to the deduction that I am asserting they're lying?

If I say there was an example of prisoner abuse in Iraq, and then claim that proves that the military is corrupt, you could rightly point out that I am making an unfounded inferencial casual connection. It has nothing to do with whether or not the individual anecdotes are true. To the contrary, my statement is in effect accepting them as true, but that does not prove that the increase in the min wage is hurting teen employment in AZ overall.

 

[Dezaad]

I'm willing to say that these people may be "lying". They could be ideologues who were opposed to the min wage increase, and are now trying to make voters believe they were wrong. Acceptance of anecdotes for evidence are problematic for this and many other reasons. Anecdotes are only useful as illustrative stories that help to explain real evidence.

Anecdotes are great for those who want to believe something, and need to cherry pick 'evidence' to confirm one's chosen position.

 

[KidRocks]

New wage boost puts squeeze on teenage workers across Arizona

See what happens democrats when you cater to the Unions?

Teenagers who in the past that has counted on summer or after school jobs are now finding out what happens when you support liberal ideas of communism......no jobs....no money.....big govt will take care of you....look at the shining example communism has been around the world.....

Democrats hate a free market and capitalism. They will do whatever it takes to destroy it.......

Not teenagers, some teenagers, and those business's such as Pepi's Pizza in south Phoenix don't deserve to be in business if they can't afford to pay their workers minimum-wage. Those few teenagers who lost their jobs can apply at Business's like Dominoes, and Pizza Hut, etc, because they are begging for drivers and deliveres.

So quit your lying just because you hate minimum-wage and all the good it does for the working people!

 

[Stinger]

Did you read the part of his post where he said the previous minimum wage laws had a clause stating they weren't applicable to those who met certain criteria, including being under the age of twenty?
That clause has not been repealed; on the basis of that, I'd say that yes, they are lying.

Not all teenagers work summer jobs that are under 90 days (like mine when I was a teenager I worked full year), not all the people's employees are summer workers.

So cite from the article where the employer said summer workers.

As I said, I couldn't wait till you guys tried to bogusly spin your way out, but to call these people liars, and smear the newspaper for writing a phony story simply because it proves your position on the MW increase was wrong...............

By law, there should be a poster outlining the current minimum wage laws posted in a prominent spot in your workplace. Go read them. The exception laws are still in effect, and they exempt employers from having to pay teenagers full wages.

Which has nothing to do with the article, so why are you calling the employer a liar. Where did you get the idea that ALL teenage workers only work summer jobs or that having to pay the year round workers a higher wage would naturally effect how many extra summer workers an employer could hire?

 

[Cold Dirt]

Not teenagers, some teenagers, and those business's such as Pepi's Pizza in south Phoenix don't deserve to be in business if they can't afford to pay their workers minimum-wage. Those few teenagers who lost their jobs can apply at Business's like Dominoes, and Pizza Hut, etc, because they are begging for drivers and deliveres.

So quit your lying just because you hate minimum-wage and all the good it does for the working people!

hey you dumbass, Pizza Hut/Dominoes doesn't pay min wage....they pay min plus mileage plus tips....you also have to be at least 18 to work there....not many 18 year old in high school...and if they are, most turn 18 at the end or near the end of school year......

What is so funny is that when proof that a hike in min wage will cause unemployment and or closing of small businesses.....the only come back you libs can give is.....they must be lying.......funny, everyone is lying but the true liars themselves........

 

[KidRocks]

hey you dumbass, Pizza Hut/Dominoes doesn't pay min wage....they pay min plus mileage plus tips....you also have to be at least 18 to work there....not many 18 year old in high school...and if they are, most turn 18 at the end or near the end of school year......

What is so funny is that when proof that a hike in min wage will cause unemployment and or closing of small businesses.....the only come back you libs can give is.....they must be lying.......funny, everyone is lying but the true liars themselves........

You've proved nothing, only that you hate minimum wage and all the good it does.

Most business's pay more than minimum wage in an effort to lure workers!

Many cities and States passed laws raiseing their minimum-wage in an effort to lure workers long ago. The current minimum-wage was to low for most of the country and many passed minimum-wage raises on their own

Minimum-wage works!

Keep lying to your fellow dittoheads, they'll believe you!

 

[1069]

hey you dumbass, Pizza Hut/Dominoes doesn't pay min wage....they pay min plus mileage plus tips....you also have to be at least 18 to work there....not many 18 year old in high school...and if they are, most turn 18 at the end or near the end of school year......

What is so funny is that when proof that a hike in min wage will cause unemployment and or closing of small businesses.....the only come back you libs can give is.....they must be lying.......funny, everyone is lying but the true liars themselves........

You do not; you only have to be 18 to deliver pizzas or to operate the dough mixer (heavy machinery).
My first job was at Pizza Hut, when I was sixteen. I was a waitress. I could do everything but serve beer (I could draw it, but somebody else had to serve it).
Most of the cooks were also sixteen or seventeen.
Back then, regular minimum wage was 3.35 an hour. For waitresses, it was 2.01 an hour, but I made real good tips there.

 

[Cold Dirt]

You do not; you only have to be 18 to deliver pizzas or to operate the dough mixer (heavy machinery).
My first job was at Pizza Hut, when I was sixteen. I was a waitress. I could do everything but serve beer (I could draw it, but somebody else had to serve it).
Most of the cooks were also sixteen or seventeen.
Back then, regular minimum wage was 3.35 an hour. For waitresses, it was 2.01 an hour, but I made real good tips there.

Not teenagers, some teenagers, and those business's such as Pepi's Pizza in south Phoenix don't deserve to be in business if they can't afford to pay their workers minimum-wage. Those few teenagers who lost their jobs can apply at Business's like Dominoes, and Pizza Hut, etc, because they are begging for drivers and deliveres.

damn the whole lot of you are ate up with the dumbass.....learn to read before you make a fool...again....out of yourself........

 

[Iriemon]

damn the whole lot of you are ate up with the dumbass.....learn to read before you make a fool...again....out of yourself........

Had another tough day today?

 

[Iriemon]

Not all teenagers work summer jobs that are under 90 days (like mine when I was a teenager I worked full year), not all the people's employees are summer workers.

So cite from the article where the employer said summer workers.

The reference to summer jobs was in the very first post in this thread.

As I said, I couldn't wait till you guys tried to bogusly spin your way out, but to call these people liars, and smear the newspaper for writing a phony story simply because it proves your position on the MW increase was wrong...............

LOL - What proves what position? Now you're arguing a few quips from local businesses proves that the min wage is a failure?

I personally have always agreed that increasing the min wage has the effect of reducing demand for employment, but I believed and believe that any such affect is likely to be relatively minor given the current rate of employment. IMO, the increase in income for those that rely on the min wage was worth the benefit.

When the min wage is raised, those workers making the min wage will in fact get a higher income. Which proves you conservatives' position on the MW was wrong.

 

[Cold Dirt]

Had another tough day today?

nope had a great day with my family.....I just cannot stand liberals and what they stand for....mostly their idioticy

 

[ptsdkid]

New wage boost puts squeeze on teenage workers across Arizona

See what happens democrats when you cater to the Unions?

Teenagers who in the past that has counted on summer or after school jobs are now finding out what happens when you support liberal ideas of communism......no jobs....no money.....big govt will take care of you....look at the shining example communism has been around the world.....

Democrats hate a free market and capitalism. They will do whatever it takes to destroy it.......

***It is no surprise that democrats/Liberals hate capitalism, but this latest liberal issue of raising the minimum wage fits rather nicely into my theme that liberals and Socialists become Communists by adhering to every policy that guarantees social justice. Look at my newly posted gem up in the poll section titled, "Are liberals/socialists, communists and social justice one and the same?"

 

[1069]

Is that a hypo, in that dog's mouth?
Your avatar, I mean.
What is that?
It bothers me.

 

[Kandahar]

Not teenagers, some teenagers, and those business's such as Pepi's Pizza in south Phoenix don't deserve to be in business if they can't afford to pay their workers minimum-wage. Those few teenagers who lost their jobs can apply at Business's like Dominoes, and Pizza Hut, etc, because they are begging for drivers and deliveres.

So quit your lying just because you hate minimum-wage and all the good it does for the working people!

So in other words, small businesses don't deserve to exist at all, and you want enormous corporations to become even larger. That's a strange position coming from you...but at least you correctly identified the consequences of a minimum wage hike.

 

[Stinger]

The reference to summer jobs was in the very first post in this thread.

Where is it in the story which you tried to dismiss. And the fact remains if he has to pay his full time full year employees more then he can't hire as many part-time summer employees.

LOL - What proves what position? Now you're arguing a few quips from local businesses proves that the min wage is a failure?

Are you calling him a liar?

I personally have always agreed that increasing the min wage has the effect of reducing demand for employment, but I believed and believe that any such affect is likely to be relatively minor given the current rate of employment.

Well tell the people that lose a job or find opportunities are fewer that those are just minor effects. But glad you note the benifits of tax cuts which creates jobs which puts on pressure to raise wages by market forces and not goverment fiat.

IMO, the increase in income for those that rely on the min wage was worth the benefit.

Well of course it benefit's the person who is getting more money without an earned reason to do so, merely by government action. But without any additional output or value to the employer it is certainly not benefit it is an increased cost.

When the min wage is raised, those workers making the min wage will in fact get a higher income. Which proves you conservatives' position on the MW was wrong.

Where did conservatives ever say those people making minimum wage would not make more money if you raised the minimum wage? As long as they keep their jobs that is. Which as the article cited demonstrated is not a given by any means.

 

[BubbaBob]

I'm willing to say that these people may be "lying". They could be ideologues who were opposed to the min wage increase, and are now trying to make voters believe they were wrong.

Sorry, but that doesn't fly either. One of the people in the story who said that he had to cut hours and lay off some teen workers is ALSO a member of the AZ state legeslature...and supported and voted FOR the ballot initiative...hardly an ideologue who opposed the increase.

BubbaBob

 

[Moot]

So these people in the article are abject liars?

It's the Arizona Republic, so yes they are abject liars.

Those teen jobs they speak of were taken by immigrants, laid off factory workers, single Moms and people with PHds in philosophy, YEARS AGO.

Minimum Wage Issue Guide: FAQs

Single Moms make up almost 1/2 of the minimum wage earners and I think it is in their best interest that the minimum wage is raised. Think about it Rightys, 58% of US households are single Moms raising the future troopers of tomorrow and if they can't afford to feed and cloth the little fellers then they won't grow up to be healthy troopers that you'll need to fight all those wars the RW have planned. Think people, think. :roll: