According to information released by Interact for Health and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, nearly 7 in 10 Kentucky adults (68 percent) favor increasing the minimum wage for all workers to $10.10 per hour. Results are from the 2015 Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP).
The current minimum wage in Kentucky for most workers is $7.25 per hour. This is about $15,000 per year for a full-time employee. In July of 2015, an executive order by State Governor Steve Beshear raised the minimum wage for state employees only to $10.10 per hour. However, this increase was repealed by an executive order from newly elected Governor Matt Bevin in December 2015.
Both Lexington and Louisville have recently passed local minimum wage increases for public and most private workers.
“Support for a minimum wage increase was seen across Kentucky,” says Jennifer Chubinski, Ph.D., Vice President, Innovation and Learning, Interact for Health. “At least 6 in 10 Kentucky adults in each region favored the change to the higher minimum wage.” Support was highest in Eastern Kentucky, where more than 74 percent favored the increase.
About 5 in 10 Republicans favored increasing the minimum hourly wage to $10.10. Support was much higher among Democrats (84 percent) and Independents (77 percent).
Women, older adults, less educated adults more likely to favor increase.
While a majority of all groups were in favor of increasing the minimum wage, support was higher among certain groups. Older adults were more likely to favor raising the minimum wage. About 5 in 10 adults ages 18 to 29 favored an increase (52 percent). This compares with nearly 8 in 10 adults ages 65 and older (79 percent).
Likewise, adults with less education were more likely to support a minimum wage hike. More than 8 in 10 adults who did not graduate from high school (82 percent) supported a minimum wage of $10.10. Seven in 10 high school graduates (70 percent) supported a higher minimum wage. About 6 in 10 adults with some college (63 percent) or a college degree (59 percent) supported the increase.
Women were more likely than men to support a wage increase. About 7 in 10 women (72 percent) supported a higher minimum wage, compared with more than 6 in 10 men (64 percent).
More information about Kentuckians’ views on the minimum wage, and other topics, is available at www.interactforhealth.org/kentucky-health-issues-poll.
I’m all in favor of increasing the minimum wage but suggest that it be in gradual increments over 3 years to $10.10, or perhaps over 5 years to $12.00 or more. This should lessen the shock that many small business owners complain about.
I’m also disappointed that Northern Kentucky voters think it is less important than the rest of the state. Maybe too many voters following the Republican dogma of Wayne LaPierre, Grover Norquest and the Koch brothers here.