Labour law

December 28, 2016

5 victims of the $15 minimum wage

As protests for a $15-per-hour minimum wage continue to rage across the country, cities like Seattle and states like California and New York have already begun to adopt such schemes. Continue Reading...

December 20, 2016

What you should know about wage subsidies

Note: This is post #14 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. What’s the difference between a wage subsidy and a minimum wage? What is the cost of a wage subsidy to taxpayers? Continue Reading...

November 17, 2016

Now that Republicans control the government, here’s what we can expect

Because of the recent election, Republicans now control the White House, the U.S. Senate (51 percent), the House of Representatives (54 percent), 31 of the 50 state governorships (62 percent), and a record 67 of the 98 partisan state legislative chambers in the nation (68 percent). Continue Reading...

April 08, 2016

Why We Should Oppose Both Skynet and Minimum Wage Increases

I oppose implementing Skynet and increasing minimum wage laws for the same reason: to forestall the robots. It’s probably inevitable that a T-1000 will return from the future to terminate John Connor. Continue Reading...

April 07, 2016

Minimum Wage Advocates: ‘Sure a $15 Wage Will Increase Unemployment. So What?’

In almost every long-term clash over a cultural or political policy, there comes a point that I’d call the “comfort-level concession.” If the agenda of one side has been won — or has at least moved sufficiently toward achieving victory — the winning side often feels comfortable making concessions about claims that they may have previously denied. Continue Reading...

December 29, 2015

Why Does the New York Times Want to Hurt the Poor?

While it may be difficult to imagine, there was once an era when the New York Times was concerned about the poor. Consider, for example, a 1987 editorial they ran with the headline, “The Right Minimum Wage: $0.00.” Continue Reading...

March 06, 2015

Unemployment as Economic-Spiritual Indicator — February 2015 Report

Series Note: Jobs are one of the most important aspects of a morally functioning economy. They help us serve the needs of our neighbors and lead to human flourishing both for the individual and for communities. Continue Reading...

February 06, 2015

Unemployment as Economic-Spiritual Indicator — January 2015 Report

Series Note: Jobs are one of the most important aspects of a morally functioning economy. They help us serve the needs of our neighbors and lead to human flourishing both for the individual and for communities. Continue Reading...

May 08, 2014

Why McDonald’s Has Become a School for Remedial Work Skills

“Clean up your own mess. Your mother doesn’t work here.” That was a sign, printed on dot matrix printer paper, which hung in the breakroom of the McDonald’s where I worked. Continue Reading...

June 27, 2013

Youth Unemployment: Are we Becoming Europe?

Alejandro Chafuen, president and chief executive officer of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation and board member of the Acton Institute, recently wrote a piece for Forbes.com discussing youth unemployment in the United States. Continue Reading...