UW-La Crosse brought their economists together to address the issue of the possibility of the minimum wage increasing in the near future from $7.25 to $10.10. For most of its history, the United States minimum wage has been below $10.10. In the United Stated, 2.5 percent of Americans are at or below minimum wage. If the minimum wage would increase, it would increase wages by 24 percent, which is a huge increase. Taggert Brooks, an economist asked, “What would you do if you had to raise wages by 30 percent?” The overall answer among the audience was to cut employees. Other options that they could have chosen were to pass costs to customers, cut hours, cut benefits, or reduce profits. “If La Crosse decided to higher the wages, many businesses would cut employees, just like if you lowered wages businesses would employ more employees,” stated Brooks. CBO estimated a central estimate that if the minimum wage raised to $10.10, 500,000 people would lose their jobs, which means 1 million workers would be out of work. The 45 million people in families whose income is below poverty would decrease by 2 percent, which would be 900,000 people. “Raise the incomes of the working poor is what we should do,” stated John Nunley. If Americans worked 2,000 hours a year at $7.25 an hour, they would make $14,500, and if the hourly wage was changed to to $10.10, they would make $20,200 a year. John Nunley also addressed that if there is a reduction in hours, there would be less income, not more. Income may stay the same but vary across employers. Businesses could increase the prices of products. Food prices respond to a rise in increase in the minimum wage; the prices immediately change when wages change. “Invest more in people, especially in early childhood interventions. Increase the educational attainment. The demand for high skilled workers has outpaced the supply of such workers,” said Nunley. Adam Hoffer, another economist is in favor of helping the working poor. He says that people will definitely lose their jobs if the minimum wage increases. According to Hoffer, displacement effects will happen. “Work experience is the most important thing if you want to climb out of poverty,” stated Hoffer. The minimum wage could increase and more jobs may go overseas. The price to make products would be cheaper, which means that they would still cut employees state side. More use of the black market hiring people under the table such as for babysitting, shoveling snow or cutting grass. But one negative is that there will be a rise in illegal workers. “Leave market labors alone,” Hoffer stated. Another economist, Laurie Strangma stated, “She was not sure where she stands on this issue. Raising the minimum wage would possibly help reduce the poverty level but it will also be effective with helping single or married couples with children,” Strangma stated. The last economist to speak was A. Wahhab Khandker. “In the past 40 years no economic policy has been passed by any president,” stated Khandker. The United States government will continue working to figure out a way to help lower the poverty level without putting many people out of jobs.