Opinion Poll: Small Businesses Support Increasing Minimum Wage

Publisher: 
Small Business Majority
Date: 
Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Small business owners are doing everything they can to grow their businesses in our slowly-recovering economy. In order to thrive, entrepreneurs need smart policies that help bolster their bottom lines and fuel the consumer demand that underpins economic success. They believe increasing the federal minimum wage will help do this. According to a national scientific opinion poll conducted for Small Business Majority by Public Policy Polling, the majority of small businesses support gradually raising the federal minimum wage to $12 per hour by 2020 and adjusting it annually to keep pace with the cost of living.

Main Findings

60% of small businesses nationwide support gradually raising the federal minimum wage to $12 per hour by 2020 and adjusting it annually to keep pace with the cost of living. Nearly half of small businesses (45%) strongly support increasing the minimum wage to $12 per hour.

Half of poll respondents (50%) pay their lowest paid employee less than or equal to $12 per hour.

Of those paying $12 per hour and under, the group that would be directly impacted by a minimum wage increase, nearly 6 in 10 (58%) support raising the minimum wage to $12 per hour.

56% of small businesses in the retail and restaurant industries combined support raising the minimum wage to $12 per hour.

Press Release

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