By Jordan Larimore
Joplin Globe, Dec 27, 2018
As of next Tuesday, Missouri is set to become one of the more than one-third of states to have raised the minimum wage in the past calendar year. Voters in Missouri and Arkansas approved increases in the states' minimum wages in November, and as many as 18 others have passed either ballot initiatives or bills to do the same.
The increase that passed in Missouri this year will result in staggered annual increases on Jan. 1 until the minimum wage reaches $12 per hour in 2023. The ballot measure passed with 62 percent of the vote. This year's increase will take the state's minimum wage from $7.85 per hour to $8.60.
Proponents of the increase say it will result in more money entering the state's economy by giving low-wage workers additional money to spend ...
Sean Flanagan, owner of The Bruncheonette in Joplin, said he believes paying more than minimum wage is a positive for employees and employers alike as workers are more likely to be satisfied and dedicated if they are compensated well, and therefore may perform better.
"I think there's hope to be able to raise a family and support people that really need it," he said. "Mainly (because of) the simple fact that one could support a family, or hopefully, instead of working three jobs, someone can only work one. ... As far as I'm concerned it's all right there in the stats from everyone else that has raised the minimum wage. It's going right back into your community; people that we're going to pay more money are going to go spend that money at your local business." ...
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