, Columnist
Numbers Are In: What a Minimum-Wage Hike Can and Can't Do
Some said an increase would drive up unemployment. Others said it would help the working poor. Massachusetts proved both wrong.
The leisure and hospitality sector is where all the action is.
Photographer: Darren McCollester/Getty Images for Boston Common MagazineThis article is for subscribers only.
Economics became a spectator sport in the "Freakonomics" era, and these days all eyes are on Massachusetts, a state that increased its minimum wage and still achieved one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. What's its secret?
In June 2014, the state enacted a staggering increase to its minimum wage, ultimately raising it from $8 per hour to $11 per hour over three years. The final increase was last month.