Respect Poverty

Most Americans back raising federal minimum wage to $15, poll says

Story at a glance

  • A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Thursday found 59 percent of Americans say they support the idea of raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025.
  • Thirty-four percent of respondents said they were opposed to the idea.
  • The poll comes as the Senate parliamentarian heard arguments from Democratic and Republican staff Wednesday on whether raising the minimum wage could be included in the coronavirus relief bill.

A new poll shows most Americans support the idea of raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $15 over the next several years. 

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Thursday found 59 percent of Americans say they support the idea of raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025, with 34 percent of respondents saying they were opposed to the idea. 


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When survey participants were told raising the minimum wage would lift some families out of poverty — but economists expected it could do away with low-income jobs — 55 percent still supported the move. 

Approximately 40 percent of respondents said either they or a family member would personally benefit if the minimum wage was increased. 

The poll was conducted online between Feb. 19-24 and includes online responses from 4,430 adults; 2,159 of which identify as Democrats and 1,482 who identify as Republicans. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. 

The poll comes as the Senate parliamentarian heard arguments from Democratic and Republican staff Wednesday on whether raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 could be included in the coronavirus relief bill. A ruling is expected Thursday. 

Democrats are using a process called reconciliation to pass the aid package with a simple majority, rather than the 60 votes required for most legislation. 


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