On paper, Oklahoma’s minimum wage has been $7.25 since 2009. But, in reality, the starting wage for most entry-level jobs is much higher. Wages of $11 to $14 an hour are common.

That undermines the entire narrative of those claiming government needs to control wages. Employee pay is not the product of government edict, but of market reality. Employers must pay wages that attract workers.

Just as the true minimum wage increases over time, regardless of minimum-wage laws, a minimum wage law can also set wages too high and reduce employment . If the mandatory minimum exceeds what an employer can financially justify, the employer will eliminate a job, automate, or shift investment to other states.

In Oklahoma, a proposed minimum-wage law threatens to devastate the working poor.

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