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Louisiana's Low Wage Workers Deserve A Raise
- Since the federal minimum wage was last increased in 1996-97, employment in Louisiana is up and unemployment is down.
- In fact, Louisiana has experienced great economic growth. Since September 1996, 85,000 new jobs have been created -- an increase of 4.7%.
- And while retail is often cited as the industry hit hardest by any increase in the minimum wage, 11,700 new retail jobs have been added in Louisiana.
- Additionally, unemployment has dropped in Louisiana by 28% since the federal minimum wage was increased. It is now 4.8%.
- With economic strengths of this proportion, surely Louisiana's low wage workers deserve a raise.
- Under our proposal to increase the federal minimum wage to $6.15 by the year 2001, over 297,000 Louisiana workers would get a raise.
- Our proposal is a modest one and would make the value of the minimum wage just 7’ more than what it was in 1982.
- Louisiana's economy is strong and its low wage workers should share in this success. The time has come for Congress to act now and give thousands of Louisiana workers the raise they deserve.
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