Nampa (670 KBOI News) – We’ve told you about the group “Idahoans for a Fair Wage”, which is gathering signatures to get a minimum wage increase on the 2020 ballot.

But would increasing the minimum wage to $12 an hour necessarily be fair? NNU economist Dr. Pete Crabb says not really, especially to the young, low-skilled workers it’s supposed to help.

“It creates the demand for that particular work to be less than the supply, of that particular product or service” said Crabb.  “So, the initiative is to raise the minimum wage to try to help those who have less skills, the consequence is that you end up making it harder for the employers to hire that same group.”

Crabb says the better way to raise wages in the state is to create a business climate which encourages employers to pay employees better, and encourages employees to beef up their skills.

— Jay Howell, 670 KBOI News