Contrary Quote by Nick Hanauer
“My message is that the counterclaim - which is that if wages go up, employment will go down - is a scam. It's a con job. It's an intimidation tactic. There is absolutely no evidence anywhere that it's true. On the contrary, where you find high wages you usually find low unemployment.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Economic Policy Podcast, Nick Hanauer, 2020
The claim that higher wages cause unemployment is false; evidence shows high‑wage areas often have low unemployment, making the argument a deceptive intimidation tactic.
In simple terms: Higher wages don’t cause job loss; they can coexist with low unemployment.
Key Takeaway
Support policies that raise wages without fearing job loss.
Themes
economics
labor market
policy
truth
misinformation
Mood
analytical
assertive
optimistic
Type
economic
political
educational
When to use this quote
- legislative debates
- business strategy
- union negotiations
- public advocacy
- academic research
Key Concepts
minimum wage
employment trends
economic evidence
political rhetoric
Questions to Reflect On
- What data best disproves the wage‑unemployment myth?
- How can we communicate this truth effectively?
A Different Perspective
Opponents may cite isolated cases or short‑term effects.
![“Fast food workers are all the governor has power to enact. Your state legislature is held hostage by the same nitwits that hold hostage the federal [government]. People who have confused suffocating collectivism, which is bad, for a necessity to solve collective action problems, which is what all…” quote by Nick Hanauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/72c/nick-hanauer-25978_action_fast-food-workers-are-all-the-governor-h_976046.jpg)
