“The minimum wage has not kept pace with rising costs,” Governor Brown said in a statement. “This legislation is long overdue and will help families struggling in this difficult economy.” An increase in the minimum wage would raise the standard of living of those who live below the poverty line, work two or more jobs, and/or are single parents. The minimum wage has not kept pace with the rising cost of living, pushing more people into poverty, unable to pay for everyday items. Every year, this minimum wage remains the same, leaving minimum wage workers with a salary that may not bring in as much as in years past. According to a new study by economist Arindrajit Dube (2014), an increase in the minimum wage could lift around 4.6 million people out of poverty. The long-term effects of raising the minimum wage could reduce the number of people living below the poverty line by 6.8 million. Huffington Post economics reporter Jillian Berman (2014) said, “the new higher wage level would reduce the poverty rate among Americans aged 18 to 64 by up to 1.7 percentage points.” Poverty increased by 3.4 percent during the recession and has not improved much since, but raising wages would erase some of that poverty and ease the difficulties of daily life (Covert 2014). If people work for “less” money year after year, what is the incentive to stay? Raising wages shows workers that we care about their well-being, which reduces costly employee turnover and increases productivity. A 2003 study by the University of California, Berkeley, showed the effects of a wage increase for San Francisco airport workers (Reich 2003). The study found that security screeners' annual turnover translates into higher prices and taxes. We would pay more money for fewer products or services to compensate for the higher wages paid. A study by the Employment Policy Institute found that every 10% increase in minimum wage increased fast food menu prices by 1.6% and could reduce employment by up to 2.5%. (Hsu 2013). Based on these figures, a higher minimum wage could lead to a 17% increase in fast food prices and a nearly 27% decrease in employment (Hsu 2013). Should the minimum wage be higher? The ages debate which, in my opinion, has no right or wrong answer. Everyone has their own opinions, views, and thoughts on who benefits from a higher minimum wage, who suffers most from a higher minimum wage, and the list goes on. I think there is stronger evidence in favor of raising the minimum wage positively affecting the economy..