January 31, 2020

Economic impacts from Arizona’s $12 minimum wage

UA Eller College of Management economist Juan Pantano weighs in on its effect.

Arizona’s minimum wage received another boost at the start of 2020 to $12 an hour. Voters approved annual raises in 2016, when the minimum wage was $8.05 an hour. The issue of raising then minimum wage remains divisive. UA Eller College of Management economist Juan Pantano explained why its effects may not be as far-reaching in the Tucson metro.

“You actually end up seeing there’s only about 3% of workers. Given the size of Tucson, you’re talking about maybe 15,000 workers who actually get benefited. So, all this additional money that gets injected into the economy, into the spending power, is relatively small,” Pantano said.

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