Want More Jobs? Repeal Minimum Wage Statutes

The Swiss Alps Photograph by James P. Blair/National Geographic Society

Earlier this week 76% of Swiss voters opposed a nationwide minimum wage.  The proposal from union employees called for a 22 franc (nearly $25 US) mandatory hourly wage.

The vote displays the people's overwhelming support for unskilled and unemployed workers.  The primary reason that Switzerland has just a 3% unemployment rate is because employers are not limited to only employing workers who produce above an arbitrary line of value.

Thanks to the voters Swiss people are still free to negotiate employment contracts privately without interference from the state.  Employers are free to higher anyone they choose regardless of skill level.    

Economy minister Johann Schneider-Ammann summarized the election outcome by saying:

"If the initiative had been accepted, it would have led to workplace losses, especially in rural areas where less qualified people have a harder time finding jobs," he said. "The best remedy against poverty is work."

Story from the AP