A report by Snagajob surveyed over 250 employers and 9,000 job seekers on federal minimum wage opinions. While 32% of employers support raising the minimum wage, 84% of job seekers favor an increase, with a common suggested new minimum of $9.00 per hour. Most employers express reluctance to automatic wage increases and indicate potential price increases or workforce reductions to offset higher wages.

1. The State of Minimum Wage
A report on job seeker and employer opinion

2. Snagajob asked over 250 employers and more
than 9,000 active job seekers regarding their
opinion and outlook for federal minimum wage.

3. EMPLOYERS

4. EMPLOYER
Are you in favor of
raising minimum
wage?
In 2012, there were
3.6 million hourly
paid workers in
the United States
with wages at or
below the federal
minimum wage of
$7.25 per hour.
68 percent
of employers
said “no”
32 percent
of employers
said “yes”

5. What is your general hiring outlook for 2014?
EMPLOYER
46%
46% of employers are optimistic and increasing
their workforce
44%
44% of employers are waiting to see and making no
changes to their workforce
10%
10% of employers are decreasing their workforce

6. How old do you think is
the average person making
minimum wage?
Majority of employers believe the average
EMPLOYER
age of workers being paid minimum wage
are between 16 to 20 years old.
49%
16-20 years old
43%
21-30 years old
8%
31 years or older

7. EMPLOYER
Which is the closest to what you think
minimum wage should be?
$7.25
50% of employers believe we should
keep minimum wage where it is
$9.00
$11.00
38 percent said minimum should be
closer to $9.00
10 percent of employers would be
open to a $11.00 per hour minimum

8. EMPLOYER
Would you be in favor of keeping minimum
wage at $7.25 per hour if that meant mandatory
raises of $1.00 every six months of work?
NO
YES
78 percent of employers
would not be open to
this arrangement
22 percent of employers
would consider this

9. EMPLOYER
If minimum wage is increased, how would
you pay for the increased wages?
65 percent of
employers would
increase price of
goods sold
5 percent of
employers would
no longer offer
benefits
30 percent of
employers would
reduce their
workforce

10. JOB SEEKERS

11. JOB SEEKER
Do you think
minimum wage
should be
increased?
84 percent of
job seekers
said “yes”

12. JOB SEEKER
How old do you think is the
average person making
minimum wage?
80 percent of job seekers believe that the
average age of hourly workers
making minimum wage is between
16 to 30 years old.
16
18
21
30
50

13. JOB SEEKER
Would you be willing to take a position
at minimum wage ($7.25) if your were
guaranteed a $1 pay increase after
every six months of work?
83
percent
would
17
percent
would not

14. JOB SEEKER
Are you in favor of raising
minimum wage if it means
paying more for products?
70%
72%
said
“yes”
However, if raising
minimum wage meant
job cuts for their
co-workers, 70
percent of those job
seekers said “no” to
raising minimum wage

15. JOB SEEKER
How much should minimum wage be?
$9.00
The magic number 46 percent of job
seekers said should be the new minimum
$11.00
30 percent said minimum wage
should be raised to $11.00 per hour
$15.00
Seven percent of job
seekers said minimum
wage should be raised to
$15.00 per hour