Michael R. Strain, Columnist

How to Make a (Modest) Minimum-Wage Hike Work

Raising the pay floor would hurt many low earners, but careful timing, smart government programs and avoiding overreach could ease the pain.

February 1, 2021 at 2:00 PM UTC

By Michael R. Strain

Michael R. Strain is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is director of economic policy studies and Arthur F. Burns Scholar in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute. He is the author of “The American Dream Is Not Dead: (But Populism Could Kill It).”

More than a number.
Photographer: Alex Wong/Getty Images

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Don’t just ask whether it would be smart to raise the U.S. minimum wage. Ask when and how.

There are better and worse times to raise a wage floor, and there are better and worse policies to enact along with an increase. Thinking about both would help Congress decide whether it can raise the wage without stifling job growth and economic vitality.