Will minimum wage hikes lead to a huge boost in automation? Only if we're lucky
I&#x27;ve never heard a good argument to justify having a minimum wage. A lot of the people who argue for minimum wages commit the fallacy of the false dichotomy: they think that the choice is between everyone having jobs and getting paid what they&#x27;re paid now, and everyone having jobs and getting paid more -- they think they can somehow legislate the latter outcome.<p>In reality, what tends to happen when you increase minimum wage is that businesses lay off workers. They only have so many dollars to spend on wages at current profitability levels. Seattle&#x27;s minimum wage for example has caused a massive loss of jobs compared to the rest of the state: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.aei.org&#x2F;publication&#x2F;minimum-wage-effect-from-jan-to-sept-seattle-msa-restaurant-jobs-fell-700-vs-5800-food-jobs-in-rest-of-state&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.aei.org&#x2F;publication&#x2F;minimum-wage-effect-from-jan...</a><p>Minimum wage <i>directly</i> causes unemployment by making it illegal to employ people at their fair market wage. [Edit: I&#x27;d be glad to read an argument for minimum wage if someone would like to link one. The articles that I see in the news tend to engage in moralizing and lack real explanation and justification.]