-South Carolina ranks as the 9th highest state in regards to poverty
-The percentage of South Carolinians living in poverty (18.6%) is increasing
-60% of those living in poverty (516,000) have at least one family member working
-20% of those “working poor” (103,200) have full time jobs.
Last week, The S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce announced its endorsement of a $10.10 federal minimum wage. South Carolina uses the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. We believe that it is vital to our local, state and national economies to increase consumer demand on Main Street. Therefore we support the effort in Congress to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour phased in over the next 2 ½ years.
We also support an effort to pass legislation in the South Carolina General Assembly that would set a minimum wage of $10 per hour with state tax credits available for small businesses to increase their wage scale to this rate in order to comply with the law and possibly also for small businesses that already pay $10 per hour and voluntarily raise their wage scale within certain limits.
Our state badly needs a boost in consumer demand, which is how Main Street businesses grow. Increasing the minimum wage will put more money in the hands of people who spend it right here in our state. That’s good for the people, good for small business, and good for South Carolina.
To read full press release, click here.
South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce addresses objections to raising minimum wage, click here.
To sign up and support the increase of minimum wage, click here.