According to a new study released by the White House, raising minimum wage can reduce crime by 3-5 percent.
The report stated that, “The impact of wages on crime is substantial. A 10 percent increase in wages for non-college educated men results in approximately a 10 to 20 percent reduction in crime.” It also suggested that increasing the minimum wage to $12 by 2020 would amount to 250,000 to 510,000 fewer crimes and a “societal benefit” of $8 to $17 billion.
Even with these findings, it will be hard for the Obama administration to implement these recommendations since more than 46,000 state and federal laws restrict employment for people with criminal records as well as requirement for employers to conduct background checks.
Watch the video below for more information on how raising minimum wage could mean a decline crime.
