10
Quarter1
P
roponents of raising the minimum wage often point to
public opinion surveys that show broad support for raising
the minimum wage. But these surveys are incomplete—they
ask respondents if they support a seemingly-good policy without
informing them of the consequences.
The Delaware Restaurant Association used Google’s Consumer
Survey tool to survey 500 registered voters in the state about
whether they support the $10.10 minimum wage that a Low Wage
Task Force recently recommended.
When asked simply if they support an increase to $10.10, the
response was predictable and overwhelming: Over 75 percent
of state voters said they supported the policy, with 54 percent
strongly supporting it. Roughly 19 percent of voters opposed the
policy, and four percent were unsure.
But then we asked a follow-up question:
If voters knew that a
$10.10 minimum wage would eliminate jobs for some Delaware
employees, would they still support it?
(This isn’t an unrealistic caveat: A survey of 124 Delaware
restaurants last year found that one-third would be very likely to
eliminate jobs if faced with a $10.10 minimum wage. Moreover,
the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that a half-
million jobs would be lost nationwide at the $10.10 amount).
It turns out that support for $10.10 in Delaware crumbles when
voters are informed of the consequences. The wage hike loses majority
support, with just 45 percent now supporting $10.10. Strong support
for the wage hike plummets by 30 percentage points, from 53 percent
down to 23 percent. Notably, about 45 percent of Delaware voters
now oppose a $10.10 minimum wage, and 10 percent are unsure.
That means over half of Delaware voters—55 percent—either
oppose or are unsure about moving to a $10.10 minimum wage
when informed that it will cost job opportunities in the state.
Support Crumbles When Delaware
Voters Learn Facts About Wage Hikes
NEW POLL:
unsure
oppose
support after
support before
4
%
19
%
45
%
77
%
For more information, visi
legislat ion
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