Battle over Minimum Wage

Should the Minimum Wage Be $10 an Hour?


Last week House Speaker Michael Madigan advanced a proposal to ask voters via the November ballot whether the state’s minimum wage should be increased to $10 an hour. Despite countless reports and research, the argument over the minimum wage still remains contentious.

Opponents claim raising the wage will cause a loss in jobs and a rise in costs of consumer goods and services. However, proponents say raising the wage stems the increase in income inequality that is the largest in the U.S. among advanced nations. We debate the issue with Ted Dabrowski, vice president of policy at the Illinois Policy Institute, and Frank Manzo, policy director at Illinois Economic Policy Institute.

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View a map of minimum wages across the US.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor

--Graphic by Taurean Small

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