The report also showed at least 110,000 Michiganders would no long
need to rely on the program with a $10.10 per hour minimum wage. The state’s
current minimum wage is $7.40 an hour or
“When we look at the impact that
raising the minimum wage would have here, we know that there's nearly one
million, if not more, people that will be directly impacted or indirectly
impacted,” said Frank Houston, a member
of the Raise Michigan Coalition which seeks to raise Michigan’s minimum wage
through a ballot initiative.
"About 640,000 of
those are minimum wage workers, but it’s also the people who are being
supported by those workers who are heads of households,” he said. “We have over
341,000 children that are being supported by minimum wage workers.”
A higher minimum wage would have a significant impact on reducing
poverty and give people a fighting chance to make ends meet, Houston said.
Nationally, and based on 2012 data, the report says an increase in
the minimum wage would save taxpayers nearly $4.6 billion per year, equivalent
to 6.1 percent of SNAP expenditures in 2012, the last year for which data are
available. During a 10-year period, the estimated savings amount to nearly $46
billion.
"Right now, our economy isn't working for everyone,"
said Ben Olinsky, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a
Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas
and action.
“Michigan's economy is stacked in favor of those at the top at the
expense of everyone else. Raising the minimum wage will help provide
Michiganders an economy that works for everyone and not just the wealthy few.
Our report shows that raising the minimum wage to $10.10 means that between
110,000 to upwards of 129,000 Michigan residents will no longer need SNAP
benefits, saving $205.4 million annually."
Jerry Wolffe is the writer-in-residence
and advocate-at-large for the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached
at 586-263-8950.
