Would lower minimum wage cause the crime rate to drop ?

Question

minimum wage has always been consistent in creating higher unemployment because of the costs to pay more employees higher salaries.

Unemployment rates on the other hand have had a strict correlation with crime rate increase, that means higher unemployment the higher the crime rate(this is usually the case)

If minimum wage effects unemployment and unemployment effects the crime rate than would a decrease in minimum wage also decrease the crime rate ?

Answer 1

Eventually, but it would stop the crime rate from rising so fast.

Raising the minimum wage causes job loss and thus increases crime rates.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Well, I get your point, oddly..
However lowering the already too low minimum wage would in my eyes create nothing but trouble.
You can not ask people to live on nothing, and raise their families on nothing. If people do not have the income to feed their families and pay their rent, then they could quite possibly turn to stealing to make ends meet.. probably from their own employers, which would in turn get them fired, now they really have no money.
I personally think they should completely over-haul the welfare, medical, & food stamp program.
There are way too many people abusing this program, each state could save a fortune by tightening the raines on their programs. The money they save could in turn be used to offer a higher wage to many citizens.
Thus quite possibly cutting the crime rate, except of course for the pissed off people who now have to get off their asses and get a job, because they got found out. Oh well... life's a bummer ain't it?

Answer 4

Correlation does not equate causation. IT is necessary to raise the minimum wage to keep up with the cost of living. The cost of living goes up due to many factors. I do not think "lowering" the minimum wage would have a significant impact on crime rates.

Answer 5

With min wage set where it is now, you can have two people in a household both working 40 hours per week making min wage, they still have to sometimes choose whether to put food on the table or pay their bills.

If you lower it even further you will make people desperate to just keep a roof over their head.

Desperate people take desperate measures and they will turn to crime to just survive.

Answer 6

Yes and no. I think that if people who are willing to work aren't going to get paid enough for the work they do, they may have to resort to something other than legit income to meet their needs. The relation is b/c people need things to live, if they are unemployed they find others ways of attaining said things. If they are employed at wages insufficient to meet their needs, then it doesn't matter what the employment rate says, more people will be commiting crimes.

Answer 7

It seems like it would, but the only reason the minimum wage would decrease is if the cost of living decreases first. That'd never happen!

Answer 8

Wouldn't the crime rate stay the same if people who were once unemployed can't get jobs that earn a livable wage? They'll have to get food/shelter from somewhere, right?

Answer 9

firstly the minimum wage is staggeringly low. it's not too bad in the uk, but the american one hasnt increased since 1997. if people were to be paid an even lower wage then many would have to resort to crime to bring themselves to a level where they are not poverty ridden.

Answer 10

Zurvan i realize you are clueless about reality, Why do think people commit crimes in the first place because of love or jealousy only???