Old North News

A move to raise the North Carolina minimum wage to $15 an hour has gained a considerable amount of traction during the past several months.

House Bill 366, introduced in March, will increase the state's minimum wage from the federal standard of $7.25 an hour to $15 per hour. The hike in the wage would be gradually implemented over a five-year period and adjusted for inflation in subsequent years.   

“Adopting the policy to increase the minimum wage has an energizing impact on the economy by producing more loyal, productive and innovative workers, millions of dollars in additional consumer spending and more stable local economies,” wrote Vicki Lee Parker, executive director of the North Carolina Business Council in an email statement to the Old North News.

Proponents of the bill believe it is necessary to facilitate a robust economy in the state. The Charlotte Post reported that nearly 500,000 African American and 250,000 Latino workers would benefit from a surge in the minimum wage, especially with the removal of provisions that exclude minimum wage protections for agricultural workers.

“Currently, a number of N.C. Business Council's business members pay their employees a living wage,” Parker wrote. “Generally, N.C. Business Council's members support a plan to incrementally raise the minimum wage over a period of several years in order to have a stable, productive workforce, stimulate consumer spending and boost the local economy.”

Opponents of the increase believe it will not help employees impacted by the wage situation.

“Raising the minimum wage hurts the very people it’s supposed to help: the poorest, the least skilled and the disadvantaged,” noted a policy paper from the conservative think tank John Locke Foundation. “All a higher minimum wage can do is make it more expensive to employ low-level workers. It can’t increase the skill level of any worker. It can’t expand payrolls. It can’t keep the work hours offered by employers the same as before.”