USCCB - (SDWP) - South Carolina's Low Wage Workers Deserve A Raise

Since the federal minimum wage was last increased in 1996-97, employment in South Carolina is up and unemployment is down.
In fact, South Carolina has experienced great economic growth. Since September 1996, 178,600 new jobs have been created -- an increase of 10.6%.
And while retail is often cited as the industry hit hardest by any increase in the minimum wage, 37,800 retail jobs have been added in South Carolina -- making the growth in retail faster than the rate for overall employment.
Additionally, unemployment has dropped in South Carolina by 33% since the federal minimum wage was increased. It is now 4.1%.
With economic strengths of this proportion, surely South Carolina's low wage workers deserve a raise.
Under our proposal to increase the federal minimum wage to $6.15 by the year 2001, over 153,000 South Carolinians 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.
South Carolina'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 South Carolinians the raise they deserve.