It’s refreshing to see that the Tribune acknowledges that most welfare recipients are only qualified for jobs that are “part-time and always low wage” (“Leaving the dole . . . ,” Page 1, July 20). But that observation falls short of the reality that even entry-level jobs are beyond the reach of many of those trying to move from welfare to work.
Unlike the World War II era, low-skilled Americans can no longer pick up a shovel and hope to make a living with a strong back. Virtually every entry-level position available today, from fast-food cashier to bike courier, puts people in contact with a computer. But according to the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey, 38 percent of welfare recipients are functionally illiterate.
This disconnect between the skills welfare recipients have to offer and the minimum wage level most employers must pay will only make things worse for those forced off welfare. According to Dr. Kevin Lang of Boston University, mandated minimum wage increases “induce a shift toward teenagers and students” attracted to the job market by higher wages. “The competi-tion from higher quality workers,” Lang found, “makes low-skill workers worse off.”
Raising the minimum wage is not the answer and, in fact, is part of the problem. Policymakers would be wise to consider creating an incentive for employers to hire people with skill levels well below the current minimum wage rather then try to mandate raises for low-skilled adults.
