Tom Perez Quotes

Walmart is so huge that a wage boost at Walmart would ripple through the entire economy, putting more money in the pockets of low-wage workers. This would help boost the entire economy - including Walmart's own sales.

When I started in the business, the minimum wage was $1.25. I've seen an enormous number of wage increases. Basically, it applies evenly to everyone in the business.

The national minimum wage has not been increased in 9 years. By year's end, 21 States across America will have a minimum wage exceeding the Federal minimum wage.

The minimum wage now in our country, I think we've set that, so there are a lot of people have benefited from it in our country, but I think we ought to review how much it ought to be, and whether or not we ought to have increases in the minimum wage.

We took the position we wanted our people to be better than minimum wage, so we're going to pay better than minimum wage, and we still do that.

My question becomes, 'If we want to empower people with higher pay, there are probably better ways to do it that are more enduring than simply a federal mandate on wage level.'

The concept of minimum wage is crazy, if you really stop to think about it. If $8 an hour seems right, why not $20 an hour? If it's coming by order of the government, why stop at any level? Why not just say everyone should get what Gates gets?

The value of the minimum wage shouldn't be eroded, and it has been.

The state of Alaska has a minimum wage which is higher than the federal level because our state leaders have made that determination.

Raising the minimum wage isn't just pro-worker; it's pro-economic growth.

At the current $5.15 an hour, the federal minimum wage has become a poverty wage. A full-time worker with one child lives below the official poverty line.

The minimum wage was enacted in 1937 during the Great Depression and it has been increased 16 times. It's a well-established economic policy to help families.

Full-time workers earning the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 only earn about $14,500 a year in wages - below the poverty line for a family of two. That's unacceptable.

I thought I was answering a question that I had heard that was about increasing the minimum wage - would I consider that. So let me just go on record and say this: I am not for decreasing the minimum wage. I did not say that and that is not something I would consider.

Now all of you know that right now the federal minimum wage is a starvation wage.

Let me just go on record and say this: I am not for decreasing the minimum wage.

Minimum wage laws have never worked in terms of having the middle class attain more prosperity.

If the opponents of an increase in the minimum wage were correct, then every time you fly to Seattle, you've got to bring a bagged lunch because there shouldn't be any restaurants because they should have all have gone out of business as a result of raising the minimum wage.

I have said, on a number of occasions, that we could have a lower minimum wage or no minimum wage.

Increasing minimum wage doesn't build a stronger economy.

I am quite uncomfortable using legislation to peg the minimum wage.

Raising the minimum wage does not take from growth, it adds to growth.

I have never said I was against raising the minimum wage.

No family gets rich from earning the minimum wage. In fact, the current minimum wage does not even lift a family out of poverty.

Raising the minimum wage means raising the living wage - and that's good news for Ohio.