---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Obviously, we want people to be paid a…"
description: "\"Obviously, we want people to be paid a wage that could help make ends meet, but when you increase artificially the cost of labor to do a job, then ofte..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/thom-tillis-4725_go_obviously-we-want-people-to-be-paid-a-wa_777747.jpg"
---

#  Obviously, we want people to be paid a wage that could…

![“Obviously, we want people to be paid a wage that could help make ends meet, but when you increase artificially the cost of labor to do a job, then oftentimes, those jobs will just go away.” quote by Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/thom-tillis-4725_go_obviously-we-want-people-to-be-paid-a-wa_777747.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/thom-tillis-4725_go_obviously-we-want-people-to-be-paid-a-wa_777747.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/thom-tillis-4725_go_obviously-we-want-people-to-be-paid-a-wa_777747.jpg)

> “Obviously, we want people to be paid a wage that could help make ends meet, but when you increase artificially the cost of labor to do a job, then oftentimes, those jobs will just go away.”

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Increasing wages artificially can raise labor costs, causing businesses to eliminate jobs or automate, undermining employment goals.

**In simple terms:** Higher wages may lead to job loss.

Key Takeaway

Balance wages with productivity.

Themes

economics labor markets policy employment inflation

Mood

concerned analytical

Type

policy economic cautionary

When to use this quote

- government budgeting
- small business hiring
- industry regulation
- skill development

Key Concepts

price elasticity automation minimum wage business sustainability

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we raise living standards without harming employment?
- What alternatives exist to a wage hike?

A Different Perspective

Higher wages can trigger unintended job reductions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Artificially Cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artificially-cost-5998314/) [Cost Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost-labor-1896012/) [Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) [Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/help/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Paid Wage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paid-wage-5998315/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Paid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-paid-328837/) [Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/will/)

## Related quotes

> [“The quick and dirty formula is to add cost of materials plus cost of labor and then figure 25 percent of that to arrive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dillehay/the-quick-and-dirty-formula-is-to-add-cost-of-materials-plus-cost-of/)

[James Dillehay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dillehay/)

> [“Cut-up pieces frequently cost more due to labor cost, developed specifications for whole poultry carcasses and parts.Δ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-parker-puckett/cut-up-pieces-frequently-cost-more-due-to-labor-cost-developed/)

[Ruby Parker Puckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-parker-puckett/)

> [When I take a moment and listen to the wrestling fans and they're shouting, 'C'mon Ricky, you can do it!' It helps me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-steamboat/when-i-take-a-moment-and-listen-to-the-wrestling-fans-and-they-re/)

[Ricky Steamboat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-steamboat/)

> [I get to travel the world in front of thousands of people and get paid for it. It's pretty awesome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hornswoggle/i-get-to-travel-the-world-in-front-of-thousands-of-people-and-get/)

[Hornswoggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hornswoggle/)

> [It never dawned on me at any particular time of my life that people are paid tremendous money to sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-e-king/it-never-dawned-on-me-at-any-particular-time-of-my-life-that-people/)

[Ben E. King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-e-king/)

> [Any time you are in a position where your peers plus the people who paid your bills all your life are honoring you, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harley-race/any-time-you-are-in-a-position-where-your-peers-plus-the-people-who/)

[Harley Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harley-race/)

> [When I arrived at IBM, there were 'Team' signs all around. I asked, 'How do people get paid?' They told me, 'We pay people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-arrived-at-ibm-there-were-team-signs-all-around-i-asked-how-do/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I really believe people should be paid for the work that they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/i-really-believe-people-should-be-paid-for-the-work-that-they-do/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

> [I don't view the fans in the way that most performers do. As a mass of people who have paid money, I know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/i-don-t-view-the-fans-in-the-way-that-most-performers-do-as-a-mass-of/)

[Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/)

> [“could’ve made a fortune as a travel agent if people paid for guilt trips.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kozeniewski/could-ve-made-a-fortune-as-a-travel-agent-if-people-paid-for-guilt/)

[Stephen Kozeniewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kozeniewski/)

> [There are people who would like to get rid of minimum wage. But we have to have it, because if we didn't some people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/there-are-people-who-would-like-to-get-rid-of-minimum-wage-but-we/)

[Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/)

> [There have been so many great tournaments that I've been privileged to see, and people paid me to go watch, that I'm awfully grateful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-jenkins/there-have-been-so-many-great-tournaments-that-i-ve-been-privileged/)

[Dan Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-jenkins/)

> [The nepotism there is the stuff of legend... It just seems to be a place where people get paid to sit in a building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-linehan/the-nepotism-there-is-the-stuff-of-legend-it-just-seems-to-be-a-place/)

[Graham Linehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-linehan/)

> [I'm very supportive of creative people being paid for the work that they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-weiner/i-m-very-supportive-of-creative-people-being-paid-for-the-work-that/)

[Matthew Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-weiner/)

> [People paid money for tickets to see us and be entertained by us, and we've never forgotten that. Anything after that was a bonus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-young/people-paid-money-for-tickets-to-see-us-and-be-entertained-by-us-and/)

[Malcolm Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-young/)

## More by Thom Tillis

> [If you just focus on producing good outcomes, all that other stuff sorts itself out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/if-you-just-focus-on-producing-good-outcomes-all-that-other-stuff/)

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

> [In the Senate, I will work to shrink the size of our federal government to its core Constitutional role so the private sector can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/in-the-senate-i-will-work-to-shrink-the-size-of-our-federal/)

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

> [We already have two branches of federal government that factor political considerations into their decision-making, and our Founding Fathers determined long ago that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/we-already-have-two-branches-of-federal-government-that-factor/)

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

> [Barack Obama and Kay Hagan think that the minimum wage needs to be the same in the mountains of North Carolina and in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/barack-obama-and-kay-hagan-think-that-the-minimum-wage-needs-to-be/)

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

> [You will never satisfy the far extremes on the Left and the Right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/you-will-never-satisfy-the-far-extremes-on-the-left-and-the-right/)

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

> [I just received the endorsement of the National Right to Life, and more than anybody else, more than any organization I can think of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/i-just-received-the-endorsement-of-the-national-right-to-life-and/)

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

> [People who truly represent an extreme on either side have a very difficult time getting bipartisan support for what they're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/people-who-truly-represent-an-extreme-on-either-side-have-a-very/)

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

> [In Washington, I will focus on creating a climate that helps create jobs and opportunities for Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/in-washington-i-will-focus-on-creating-a-climate-that-helps-create/)

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

> [What I want to do is create jobs that make the minimum wage irrelevant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/what-i-want-to-do-is-create-jobs-that-make-the-minimum-wage-irrelevant/)

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

> [Republicans do need to communicate that we agree that there are serious health care issues among the American people that we need to solve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/republicans-do-need-to-communicate-that-we-agree-that-there-are/)

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

> [I have immense respect for Loretta Lynch both personally and professionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/i-have-immense-respect-for-loretta-lynch-both-personally-and/)

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

> [The heartaches of Obamacare don't have to be the norm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/the-heartaches-of-obamacare-don-t-have-to-be-the-norm/)

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

> [Republicans should remember that when Trump campaigned, he wasn't holding up a conservative manifesto at every rally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/republicans-should-remember-that-when-trump-campaigned-he-wasn-t/)

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

> [Americans from all walks of life have voiced their deep frustration with Washington's seeming inability to get anything constructive done. For decades, they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/americans-from-all-walks-of-life-have-voiced-their-deep-frustration/)

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

> [When officers' actions violate their duty, justice should be served in accordance with our legal system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/when-officers-actions-violate-their-duty-justice-should-be-served-in/)

[Thom Tillis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

[Explore all 107 Thom Tillis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/)

## More Go quotes

> [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/)

[Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/)

> [I love going to Columbia, Missouri. That is a really underrated campus. It shocked me when I went there because I really didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-herbstreit/i-love-going-to-columbia-missouri-that-is-a-really-underrated-campus/)

[Kirk Herbstreit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-herbstreit/)

> [Intel has a very complete process that I go through any time I want to sell that ensures I have no insider information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-krzanich/intel-has-a-very-complete-process-that-i-go-through-any-time-i-want/)

[Brian Krzanich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-krzanich/)

> [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/)

[Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/)

> [Unfortunately, we all go through bad phases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/unfortunately-we-all-go-through-bad-phases/)

[Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/)

> [I go out there and I work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-chubb/i-go-out-there-and-i-work/)

[Nick Chubb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-chubb/)

> [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/)

[Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/)

> [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/)

[Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/)

> [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/)

[Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/)

> [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/)

[Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/)

> [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/)

[Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/)

> [As much as you want to improve or help the team, as a centre-back your job is to go under the radar and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrone-mings/as-much-as-you-want-to-improve-or-help-the-team-as-a-centre-back-your/)

[Tyrone Mings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrone-mings/)

> [I don't know what successful journaling really looks like... I think it really does look so different for everyone who does it, I'm always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-abrams/i-don-t-know-what-successful-journaling-really-looks-like-i-think-it/)

[Gracie Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-abrams/)

> [“Everywhere is home, let is go home”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzuco-hu-nh/everywhere-is-home-let-is-go-home/)

[Dzuco Huỳnh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzuco-hu-nh/)

> [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/)

[Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/)

[Browse all 23,138 Go quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Obviously, we want people to be paid a wage that could help make ends meet, but when you increase artificially the cost of labor to do a job, then oftentimes, those jobs will just go away.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Thom Tillis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/obviously-we-want-people-to-be-paid-a-wage-that-could-help-make-ends/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Go"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/obviously-we-want-people-to-be-paid-a-wage-that-could-help-make-ends/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/thom-tillis-4725_go_obviously-we-want-people-to-be-paid-a-wa_777747.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/thom-tillis-4725_go_obviously-we-want-people-to-be-paid-a-wa_777747.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ec/thom-tillis-4725_go_obviously-we-want-people-to-be-paid-a-wa_777747.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Obviously, we want people to be paid a wage that could help make ends meet, but when you increase…” — Thom Tillis",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Thom Tillis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-tillis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Obviously, we want people to be...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/obviously-we-want-people-to-be-paid-a-wage-that-could-help-make-ends/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-tillis/obviously-we-want-people-to-be-paid-a-wage-that-could-help-make-ends/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
