Saint Paul, MN – Today, State Rep. Joe Atkins, the lead Democrat on the Minnesota House Commerce Committee, called upon Target to match Wal-Mart’s decision last week to increase the wages of its lowest-paid employees.
“Wal-Mart’s announcement that it will be increasing its lowest employee wage to $10 per hour is not only welcome news for Wal-Mart employees, but good for business at Wal-Mart, good for the retail industry generally, and good for the State of Minnesota,” said State Rep. Atkins.
Atkins called upon Target to do the same, establishing a $10 minimum hourly wage for its employees, when it announces fourth quarter figures on Wednesday morning, February 25th.
“It may seem counterintuitive, but retailers that pay higher wages make more money,” said Atkins. “Overwhelming evidence shows paying higher wages in the retail sector results in higher sales and higher productivity.”
Atkins cited MIT professor Zeynep Ton, an expert on the retail sector, who found that businesses that make an investment in their retail workforce find that well-paid, knowledgeable, and experienced employees are a sales driver. He also cited high-wage retailer Costco, where sales per employee are double that of low-wage rivals.
Rep. Atkins can be reached by cell phone at 651) 247-3333 or by email at rep.joe.atkins@house.mn.