Alternative Minimum Wages

Question A: Requiring employers to pay workers with disabilities the same minimum wage as other workers will grow the economy.

Question B: Requiring employers to pay workers with disabilities the same minimum wage as other workers will reduce poverty.

Question C: Requiring employers to pay workers with disabilities the same minimum wage as other workers will hinder human capital development for workers with disabilities.

Question A: Requiring employers to pay workers with disabilities the same minimum wage as other workers will grow the economy.

Economist	Institution	Opinion	Confidence	Comment
Jonathan Andreas	Bluffton University	No Opinion	1	I think the main goal of minimum wages is to create equitable growth and dignity for workers. I'd be in favor of more equity and dignity even if it caused a little less growth, but the research on minimum wages generally finds that it doesn't cause problems so it looks like a way to increase equity without hurting growth. I've never seen research about the minimum wage for people with disabilities so I haven't seen enough information to know.
Kevin Egan	University of Toledo	Uncertain	6	"Growing the economy" is an efficiency question when the issue here is really about fairness. I would need more data on the employment of workers with disabilities. I think the most fair policy is to have the same minimum wage for everyone and govt. could help subsidize firms for any accommodations.
Bob Gitter	Ohio Wesleyan University	Disagree	7	Given the current state of the labor market, very few people are working at or near the minimum wage. There really won't be much of an effect.
Nancy Haskell	University of Dayton	Disagree	7
Paul Holmes	Ashland University	Strongly Disagree	8	This is a civil rights issue, not an economic one. We're probably talking about between several hundred and a few thousand Ohioans, who could each see a few thousand dollars more a year (assuming full-time work, which is probably a bad assumption), very likely less than a $10m impact; and the money doesn't come from nowhere, it's a transfer from firms to disabled employees; and that's assuming the firms don't decrease employment as a result of a higher disabled minimum wage. Further, any means-tested government transfers to the workers may decrease as a result. Overall, the likely impact on the economy will be basically zero.
Faria Huq	Lake Erie College	Uncertain	5	From a normative standpoint, workers with disabilities should be paid the same minimum wage as other workers, as they are being hired to do the same job. Whether this will grow the economy or not will depend on whether employers would reduce their hiring of workers with disabilities as a result or not, the state of the labor market, the percentage of the labor force that are disabled, and several other factors.
Michael Jones	University of Cincinnati	Disagree	8
Fadhel Kaboub	Denison University	Strongly Agree	10
Charles Kroncke	Mount Saint Joseph University	Uncertain	7
Trevon Logan	Ohio State University	Uncertain	8
Joe Nowakowski	Muskingum University	Uncertain	9
Lewis Sage	Baldwin Wallace University	No Opinion	10
Kay E. Strong	Independent	Agree	9	It's this act in violation of the 1965 Anti-discrimination law?
Albert Sumell	Youngstown State University	Uncertain	5	I don't think it would have a tangible effect on the economy. It should be done out of fairness, not efficiency.
Ejindu Ume	Miami University	Uncertain	5
Andy Welki	John Carroll University	Disagree	7	Minimum wages are not consistent with growth oriented policies.

Question B: Requiring employers to pay workers with disabilities the same minimum wage as other workers will reduce poverty.

Economist	Institution	Opinion	Confidence	Comment
Jonathan Andreas	Bluffton University	No Opinion	1	The research on the overall minimum wage is pretty clear that it has helped reduce inequality at approximately zero cost to growth. BUT an excessive minimum wage COULD hurt low-wage workers by increasing unemployment. I don't know enough about unemployment among people with disabilities nor about their financial support options if they become unemployed, so I cannot venture an opinion. It seems like it could be a good idea, but I just don't know enough details. I have friends with severe disabilities who mainly like their work for the sense of purpose and dignity and they might loose some of their financial assistance if they earned higher wages and I'd hate for them to lose their jobs due to a change in regulations.
Kevin Egan	University of Toledo	Agree	7	Assuming there are citizens with disabilities getting paid less than minimum wage now and that employment is about the same then yes this is a pay raise for them.
Bob Gitter	Ohio Wesleyan University	Disagree	7	Not much effect as few people in poverty work at or near the minimum wage. Generally, those in poverty are not employed for a variety of reasons.
Nancy Haskell	University of Dayton	Agree	7
Paul Holmes	Ashland University	Disagree	7	We're talking about just a few thousand Ohioan, but let's concentrate on them. The disabled Ohioans earning subminimum wages probably don't have a lot of options for full-wage employment (otherwise presumably they wouldn't take jobs paying sub-minimum wage). They're typically not living on the wages they earn - typically they're dependent on families or the state - so whether or not they are 'in poverty' is unlikely to be affected much by this change. My guess is a change like this might decrease the poverty ranks by a few dozen. But that's assuming firms continue hiring those same workers at higher rates, which is probably untrue. Overall the effect will likely be very small, and I think characterizing it as 'reducing poverty' is a big stretch.
Faria Huq	Lake Erie College	Uncertain	5
Michael Jones	University of Cincinnati	Disagree	8
Fadhel Kaboub	Denison University	Strongly Agree	10	Not paying workers with disabilities the same minimum wage as other workers is an abusive practice that is morally, economically, and legally indefensible.
Charles Kroncke	Mount Saint Joseph University	Agree	6
Trevon Logan	Ohio State University	Agree	9
Joe Nowakowski	Muskingum University	Agree	8
Lewis Sage	Baldwin Wallace University	Agree	10
Kay E. Strong	Independent	Strongly Agree	10
Albert Sumell	Youngstown State University	Agree	8	The effect will be modest but clearly some individuals with disabilities would benefit.
Ejindu Ume	Miami University	Uncertain	5
Andy Welki	John Carroll University	Agree	7	It will have a minimal effect on the poverty level of workers with disabilities. It does make the situation more equitable.

Question C: Requiring employers to pay workers with disabilities the same minimum wage as other workers will hinder human capital development for workers with disabilities.

Economist	Institution	Opinion	Confidence	Comment
Jonathan Andreas	Bluffton University	No Opinion	1	This is a very specialized policy area. I'm unqualified.
Kevin Egan	University of Toledo	Uncertain	7	Again, this is an efficiency question. I don't think its fair to pay anyone less then the low minimum wage we have now. To encourage employment for everyone, the govt. can subsidize firms to assist with accommodations.
Bob Gitter	Ohio Wesleyan University	Uncertain	5
Nancy Haskell	University of Dayton	Agree	7
Paul Holmes	Ashland University	Uncertain	6	This one is complicated. Higher wages might attract more disabled Ohioans to the labor force, but would discourage hiring those workers. However perhaps firms would give choose to give more training to get those workers performing more valuable tasks. I don't have a good feel for which effect would be strongest.
Faria Huq	Lake Erie College	Uncertain	6
Michael Jones	University of Cincinnati	Agree	8
Fadhel Kaboub	Denison University	Strongly Disagree	10	Workers with disabilities not only deserve the same minimum wage as other workers, but also additional wrap around services (transportation, housing, counseling, training..) and other professional development opportunities that give them the same opportunities to thrive professionally and in their life in general. Employers, in conjunction with state and federal authorities must underwrite the cost of such programs.
Charles Kroncke	Mount Saint Joseph University	Disagree	7
Trevon Logan	Ohio State University	Disagree	8
Joe Nowakowski	Muskingum University	Disagree	8
Lewis Sage	Baldwin Wallace University	Strongly Disagree	8
Kay E. Strong	Independent	Disagree	9
Albert Sumell	Youngstown State University	Strongly Disagree	10	I honestly don't understand the basis of an argument that this would hinder human capital development.
Ejindu Ume	Miami University	Strongly Disagree	7
Andy Welki	John Carroll University	Uncertain	6	For those who maintain jobs, yes, for those who might lose jobs or not be hired at all, no.