Americans by a wide margin say they favor raising the federal minimum wage, according to a new survey conducted and published by Resourceful Compliance.
Because managing federal compliance usually falls to HR, successful HR pros who know they need to stay a step ahead of the trend will find the exclusive Resourceful Compliance minimum wage survey insightful and useful.
Steering clear of compliance pitfalls has grown more daunting as many new local and state mandates for minimum wage, paid sick leave, tax changes and similar compliance actions take hold.
The survey found there is a deep divide among the public about how to achieve a minimum wage goal of $15, especially in the face of a lingering pandemic.
The federal minimum wage has not been raised since July 2009, the longest period the country has ever gone without a rate increase since 1938.
According to the Resourceful Compliance survey of more than 2,000 Americans, a full 80% said they support a higher minimum wage. A third of those supporting a higher wage said it should be at or above $15.
Blacks, Asians and Hispanics supported a higher minimum wage at a greater rate than the general population.
The survey also found 93% of Democrats and 66% of Republican supported a higher minimum wage.
Support for the minimum wage was higher among lower wage earners and lower among higher income respondents.
According to the survey authors, “As Americans become increasingly aware of poverty’s grasp on vulnerable populations, such as people of color or those without a college education, many feel it’s high time that fast food workers and grocery store clerks be able to support their families while still paying the utility bill.”
The survey delves into:
- Individual vs. business perspective
- Political divides
- Gender and age parallels
- Employment status and occupational correlations, and
- Ethnicity.
The survey also broke down findings at a state level, and compared that to what the current elected officials feel about raising the wage.
The Resourceful Compliance 2020 Minimum Wage Survey findings coincide generally with the results of similar polls in recent years. You can see all findings here.
