Setting the minimum wage at a living wage of $10.50 would have devastating economic effects according to the document. It would likely lead to dramatic inflation as businesses pass on costs to consumers. Many small businesses would be unable to absorb the increased labor costs and may be forced to cut staff significantly or close down. Previous examples that raised minimum wage substantially, such as in Santa Fe, New Mexico, resulted in major job losses as high as 16% increased unemployment. Large increases in the minimum wage could eliminate hundreds of thousands of jobs nationally according to congressional reports.