Large Majority of Americans Support Obama's Call to Raise Minimum Wage

Opposers believe it would cut into job growth

The majority of Americans support President Obama’s proposal to increase the minimum wage. In his most recent State of the Union address, Obama called to raise the federal wage from $7.25 an hour to $9. Some 71 percent of those surveyed were in support of the change, while 27 percent opposed it. While Gallup's Lydia Saad called boosting the wage a typical "crowd pleaser," she also added that the support "may be a bit dampened by continued high unemployment, and could reflect public awareness of critics’ argument that raising the minimum wage causes employers to cut back on workers." The majority of Democrats as well, at 91 percent, supported the minimum wage increase, compared to 50 percent of Republicans who have said they oppose raising the wage because they believe the hike would cut into job growth. Some Democrats, meanwhile, say Obama’s proposal doesn’t go far enough, and have proposed a bill to set the minimum wage at $10.10 over three years. (NBC News)

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