How Democrats Ballooned Teen Unemployment

It's hard to understate how damaging the Democrat agenda on minimum wages has been for teen unemployment. It would be nice if Congress could magically wave a wand and make everyone richer by raising wages. Unfortunately, the free market teaches us over and over again that there are terrible consequences when wages are artificially moved.

As the WSJ points out and shows in the graph, the minimum wage increase from $5.15 to 5.85 in 2007 had a minimal effect because overall unemployment was under 5% and the rate hadn't budged in nearly a decade. However, the subsequent increases to $6.55 and then $7.25 under the direction of the great economist Nancy Pelosi has been a disaster. Total teen employment has jumped by over 150% to a 25% rate, while black unemployment is nearly 50%.

This is a tragedy and it's unfortunate and nearly criminal that the people who make laws in this country have no comprehension of how the economy works.