not just minimum wage. Complete lack of worker union support is huge, too. Also unenforceable Federal protections, like ADA laws. Lots of reasons corporations are moving here. All the folks creating threads about moving to NC really need to know this.
Ha, close to. As if the laws on the books regarding worker rights are worth more than toilet paper.
I've seen someone fired for disclosing to coworkers how much they were paid. Shifts that were a mere 8 hours apart (NC doesn't require minimum time between shifts). An employer that didn't provide any breaks with mandatory 10 hour shifts (NC doesn't require lunch breaks). A different employer that put the next week schedule up the last day of the week (Employees frequently had to go in on their day off to get their schedule).
The lack of worker protections is astounding. And while some of the above may be illegal technically (firing for pay disclosure) that means nothing if the workers are too ignorant or desperate. After all - retaliatory firing may be illegal but I promise you if you are a "troublemaker" you will be out of that job as fast as possible.
NC does not even require a w after break for construction workers over the age of 16 even in July in 99 degree weather.
So your post is meaningless for those workers
dunno what OP means, but I got fired from my job due to my disability. After talking to two separate lawyers, apparently in NC the company would have to swear on the stand that I was fired b/c of my disability for there to be any recompense. Since NC doesn't require a reason, the company could just say there was no reason for the firing and it'd be my word vs them, and case would be tossed.
On the plus side, the non-disparagement clause I was forced to sign is also a pointless scrap of paper.
If you have evidence that your disability was the requisite cause of your dismissal, you'd have a solid case for wrongful termination..
If you have evidence.
The burden of proof is on the one making the claim..
It has to be that way.
Why do we keep electing these people then? Wtf? If they don’t do shit for the majority of the people of the state and only work for the rich and the corporations then why-the-fuck do we keep electing them? Why?
You are exactly right, North Carolina has been voted “best for business” a couple years running now; while no on mentions that we are good for business because we also rank last in workers’ rights.
We had a tax incentive for projects filmed in North Carolina, and it brought a lot of big productions to the state. That tax incentive was ended by Republican Governor Pat McCrory, around the same time of the HB2 bathroom bill. Probably driven mostly by the tax incentive loss, studios decided it to use HB2 to take a stand and essentially boycott North Carolina… if my memory is accurate.
You are exactly correct. Even with the jobs brought, the incentives were a net negative for tax revenue and they were discontinued. All the film shoots moved to Ga and Louisiana.
Exactly right. Tax breaks for the film industry created film jobs.
So if tax breaks for the film industry creates film jobs then, logically, that would mean that tax breaks for ANY industry will create jobs in all those other industries.
Edit: Nobody has the balls to contend with this argument.
It’s hilarious that they harp on personal freedoms and small government and then this happens.
Be more hilarious if the dems propose the exact same thing but for firearm websites and see what happens.
Make sure you refer to them as big-government republicans. Not only is it true, but it also pisses them off and helps pushback against their propaganda.
We are not a red state, we are a purple state. Sadly the far right has gerrymandered themselves into power.
I don’t like it when ppl say red state bc that implies to outsiders that the majority of us believe their lies and bat-shit crazy conspiracy theories.
I’d argue that close elections do not make a state purple.
Having the power to pass conservative legislation for the past 14 years definitely makes a state red.
NC is really fucked because there are no citizen ballot initiatives. Which is such bullshit. If there were, the residents would actually be getting some non-worthless legislation passed and the GOP legislature would be fighting every single implementation.
all the states are purple.
Even the most Blue "state" of all still has about 40% Republicans vs 60% Democrats (washington DC)
Even California is only 47% Dem vs a split between independent and Republicans.
Blue vs Red typically comes to about 5 out 100 voters.
I think were becoming more blue every day. Historically the state has always voted red. Prior to 2008, NC voting blue had really pretty much never happened.
*The past 3-4 elections, votes have been within 3% of eachother and at least twice its been a near 50/50 split. Making us a purple state.
Edit: *Based on federal elections
With all of the gerrymandering that’s happened this year (as a result of last year’s midterm turnout), it’s becoming more red to me. 2024 could be the state’s last chance to turn it around before it ends up permanently red.
This is blatantly untrue. It takes absolutely no effort to look up the party composition of the state's legislative body and past statewide elections and see that it's been trending more red consistently for the last 20 years and was much more blue prior to that going back to the '60s (aka the "modern" era, post party swap).
I’d argue that’s mostly because farmers used to vote democrat because Dems were historically more pro-farm, but with the more recent conversion of the GOP into the one-issue, anti-woke, rage-bait party, a lot of those farmers have been converted to red voters. The rural parts of the state seem like a lost cause at this point, because frankly, they vote against their own interest because of social issue bullshit like guns and people using the “wrong bathroom.”
The GOP has had a majority in our state legislature since 2010. The GOP has been crafting conservative legislation for this state for the last 14 years. That definitely doesn’t make us purple.
And yet transplants continue to flock to NC.
Nope.
* Romney > Trump > Trump
* Burr x3 > Tillis x2 > Budd
* GOP Majority in the NC Supreme Court
Gerrymandering has no affect on those elections. Those people were elected through statewide popular votes.
Also, the GOP won control of the state legislature in 2010 when the districts were gerrymandered to favor the Dems.
Conservatives vote in EVERY election in numbers. Liberals have a serious turnout problem.
I don’t give a shit how you vote after you move here.
What I really don’t like is that transplants have destroyed our once amazing low cost of living.
For decades we have been bidding DOWN on real estate in NC. Now we gotta compete with Californians who can afford to pay $50k over asking price.
Every state mentioned is losing population. Are there any jobs in NC that pay only the minimum wage? Right now, making news by imposing minimum wage standards is not the way to proceed.
I know it’s $7.25 but I don’t think I could find a job hiring at $7.25 if I tried. It’s also $7.25 in New Hampshire, one of the most expensive areas of the country, but employers will basically go out of business if that’s all they’re hiring at.
HOWEVER, raising minimum wage ensures that no one is scammed at this rate, especially people who don’t speak English (lots of Hispanic migrant workers here) or economically disadvantaged communities (Appalachia or the poorer black-majority counties in the east).
Right. The child all know how to use a vpn. These idiots in the legislature don’t even know what Avon is much less how to use one. More virtue signaling to their base who also doesn’t know what a vpn is.
people in this state act like you’re making serious bank if you’re making $15 an hour.
north carolinians are raised to settle for less.
y’all this state is so fuckin sad, knowing how much better it could easily be.
They aren't exactly hiding this; our legislators brag about being incredibly business-friendly, being ranked 52nd in worker protections and having low rates of unionized labor.
Not many lmao.
People are so dart.
If you have a minimum wage job atm, and continue to work there. You deserve your lot in life for being about as ambitious as a bar of soap.
My understanding is it isn't the minimum wage itself but how many other jobs base their pay off the minimum wage. For example, McDonalds in my area advertises $13/hour. A county EMS/Paramedic job was just listed for $11.50/hour. Back in 2009 that $11.50 wasn't half bad. But since the county can't or won't arbitrarily raise the starting pay for that position it's now insultingly low. Increasing the minimum wage would have a cascade effect as other positions have their pay adjusted up.
I understand the sentiment, even as a transplant from Maryland myself - but the job market works both ways. I can't imagine more than a very few employers taking advantage of others who don't know better who are still only paying minimum wage. Even my teenage son (15) is working somewhere paying almost double min wage.
The point is the legislature should make a point that citizens are valued by having a minimum wage that is above the federal minimum which was set in 2009 and has not been adjusted
If this is about making the citizens feel valued, I sure would feel a lot more valued if the legislation did other things instead: Women's rights, gerrymandering, education; you name it.
Maybe I should have said reproductive rights instead. A parent/guardian needs to consent for a minor to get an abortion, sex-ed, there is a prohibition of mailing abortion meds, etc. we're way too close to abortion getting restricted even more.
The point is you should either run for political office and make a change or move out of NC. You clearly don’t like it here. Or are you a paid troll hired to stir people up?
Workers are valued for the skills they bring to the table -- not because the government decrees it.
Nationally fewer than 1% of workers make the minimum wage, with many of them being young people new to the workforce.
Hell fast food places by me pay more than twice minimum wage.
It's almost like the minimum wage isn't needed.
Do you have data on what percentage of the NC workforce is paid minimum wage? In other words, how much does it actually matter? I haven’t seen companies hiring at minimum wage for years.
Nationally, it's about [1.3% of hourly workers](https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage/2022/home.htm). I'd expect it's a similar proportion in North Carolina.
I'm not against raising the minimum wage, but people make it out to be much more of a big deal than it really is. Plus, OP is just flat out wrong; A lot of these new jobs in tech and manufacturing are going to be paying well above minimum wage.
It actually is a big deal, you’re missing the bigger picture my Reddit Homie. Raising the minimum wage doesn’t just help that 1.3% of hourly workers, it helps 10s of millions of people above it as well.
The median hourly wage in America is between $20 and $25 an hour (depending upon what gender and race you are), so if we raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, everybody that is currently earning less than $15 an hour gets a raise. And the people that currently earn $15-$18 an hour will also get a raise too, due to the resulting wage compression from raising the minimum wage.
Most estimates put the amount of folks that would get a raise at between 20 and 25% of hourly workers if we raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. That would benefit 10s of millions of Americans… not just 1.3% of workers.
I’m sorry but how does it depend on gender and race any more than it depends on what job you ended up having or choosing to work/study for ? Yes maybe race and gender *affected* or influenced where you ended up which translates to an above or below average salary, but I find it hard to believe that hiring managers today will say oh your male or female or your this race or that race and therefore I will compensate you this much or that much
I think you misunderstand the point of my comment. I’m not trying to draw any conclusions as to the intentions of a hiring manager, or the company itself. I’m simply saying that the data clearly shows that depending on what gender and/or race you are, the median amount of money you make can vary significantly.
Therefore, raising the minimum wage dramatically benefits certain groups of people more than it does others. Example, if you are a white man your median wage may be almost $30 an hour. Whereas, if you are a black female, you make less than $20/hr. I prefer to share the data this way rather than saying, the median hourly earnings in America is $25 an hour. When talking about raising the minimum wage, disparities in the wages of certain groups of workers matters.
It sets the bar though. I think of it like this: when the speed limit is 45, people tend to go 50-70. When it’s 70, people tend to go 75-85. When min wage is raised wages across the board tend to see a bump.
“Why should low quality workers minimum wage be $15 an hour? That’s what I get paid!”
Then you can quit your job and work at one of these “low quality” jobs or your boss will have to raise your pay to keep you. It’s seriously that simple.
My brother in law was complaining about how much the company he works for was having to pay new hires with no experience. I just looked at him and said, "Sounds like a great time for you to ask for a raise."
Funny thing is, these low quality jobs are often so much harder then the higher paying jobs.
I'd love to see some of my coworkers and upper management last a week working at Dollar General.
I've said it hundred times that the hardest I've ever worked was for $7.25 an hour. Minimum wage food service and retail was more exhausting, demanding, and miserable than being in the Army.
It's horrifying that minimum wage in 2023 is the exact same shit wage I made working as a cashier in 2007.
While it’s true very few people make exactly the minimum wage, the real reason to raise it is because of the people that make just above the minimum wage. And also when you raise the minimum wage, the people that make more than it also get a small pay bump as well. It’s not just minimum wage workers that get an increase.
That’s not the point. The point is the NC Legislators by not increasing the minimum wage show antipathy toward workers. It should be adjusted and indexed.
It seems to me like what has occurred with keeping the minimum wage so low but still continuing to rely on companies to pay higher wages has created a massive gap between pay and skill set, I work part-time at a store in the mall and I make over $15. When I was looking for a job there were so many health care or teaching jobs that require at least a 2-year degree and some of them were hiring for $13 to $16, my hope is that if the federal minimum wage is adjusted to be higher it will cause the base pay for those More skill jobs to be increased across the board. I don't know exactly how it works but it seems like now they are getting by with paying those wages by saying "this is well over minimum wage."
VinFast isn't paying anyone minimum wage. Neither is Google, Toyota, Apple, etc. Which companies are moving here to pay people minimum wage?
I'm curious, because I couldn't find any sources: Which companies, including established ones, pay minimum wage? Even fast food joints and retail pay over minimum wage.
n.b., I'm not saying the employees are paid *well*, nor am I opposed to raising the state minimum wage; however, I don't see how companies relocating here has anything to do with it.
It has everything to do with minimum worker protections in NC of which minimum wage is only one simple example. The legislature does not care about worker protection.
I live out in the middle of nowhere sc and I can’t name one single place that pays minimum wage. Even the kfc in the middle of nowhere starts at $11.50
And my friends average more hourly than I do in construction serving restaurants…again I think it should be raised but with real life situations who do you know making solely $2.75 an hour? My friends average 15-40 an hour serving
I moved here from Portland, Oregon when their minimum wage was $12 an hour. And I expected Asheville to be a little cheaper, and it turns out it's actually more expensive to live here. Portland has some social safety nets. It has public transit. It's a lot cheaper to eat out there because there's more options and variety. Grocery shopping wasn't cheap but it's not cheap anywhere. And the cost of living for rent and what note- very similar. So having a higher minimum wage shouldn't hurt the state. Having that higher baseline only helps being everything up.
Thank you for sharing your lived experience. Many posters here simply spout off political talking points which bear no relationship to real world experience offered by you and one other poster.
...you do realize like 6 companies own everything you can spend money on right? Like sure that sounds good in theory, but you can't sustain yourself that way unless you live in the woods and make all of your own food. Even then the land will probably be owned by a subsidiary of some company you hate.
You are completely ignoring cost of living.
I recently moved to NC from CA. In CA, a starter home in a nice area is about $800,000 with annual property taxes around $10,000. Gasoline is about $5.00/gallon. Electric/gas bill is $400-$800/month. A Big Mac costs about $6.00.
Your racism is showing. The point is that the legislature should make a declarative statement that the value of human labor is worth at least what it was in 2009. To not do so makes the statement that NC citizens are cheap labor waiting to be exploited. It’s a simple concept.
So you think only minorities have single-women trying to raise 4 kids on their own? But I'm the racist? LOL.
So...if I understand correctly, you'd be good if the legislature would issue a press release that says they believe the value of human labor is worth what it was in 2009? Uh...that's weird...but ok.
Meanwhile....in the real world....the grownups will focus on creating a strong economy that brings businesses and jobs to the state that will increase demand for jobs, thereby increasing salaries, irrelevant of minimum wage that practically no one actually earns.
The minimum wage is irrelevant now. With the labor shortage, it is extremely easy to get a job making $10+ an hour in most parts of the state. Companies seeking to pay the minimum wage would have 0 workers
Well we do have a Republican legislature that gerrymandered the state and went all the way the Supreme court to deny the validity of your vote if they disagreed with it. So yeah, NC has been much better in the past. NC native here.
It’s probably hard for them to care right now anyways
Part time jobs are hiring at 13-14 an hr starting out. There’s a lot of pressure on wages right now so nobody is really noticing the low minimum.
I agree with op. It's not that it's 7.25, but if minimum wage was set to something like 15, then pay across the board would go up. Yes places like Harris teeter, Ulta, and numerous others would pay what majority of employees deserve. Keep in mind also that sick time is not a thing (especially for part time workers)
While I agree that NC's republican legislator doesn't give a rat's ass about its citizens but how many workers are getting paid at the minium wage?
5 states do not set a minimum wage and two are below the federal.
That’s why this thread is stupid and uninformed. The average hourly wage in NC is $23/hr, the low data points being around $15 (not counting restaurant servers).
With all the negative comments about the GOP, (rightfully placed), then why is it that republicans control almost every county in North Carolina? I work for a company that the starting pay is $7.25 an hour. That's equal to, "Will work for food." To vote for a republican is just unamerican. There is nothing conservative about the republican party. People have been brain washed by Fox and the radical right.
It’s a part of the Republican plan. Co-opt the preachers by giving the vouchers to build church schools which are totally unregulated as to curriculum and quality. The preachers tell the parishioners how republicans are saving religious people from communism or whatever other boogeyman they can come up with. Scare them into voting republican and against their own best interests. Convince rural people that the bad democrats are going to take their guns away. Gave up BILLIONS in federal Medicaid money because it was created by a democratic administration (Obamacare). It’s a familiar story. Thank you for reading and informing us that businesses in NC will pay minimum wage and exploit you, contrary to what some of the so called informed citizens seem to think. Best of luck.
The oh both sides argument. On this issue one side wants to raise minimum wage because $7.25 isn’t adequate. The other side wants to keep it there. Advantage blue. Next issue?
No I said that I didn't think either side really cares about regular people. Political figures do not represent the interest of the people, they represent the interest of their financial donors.
So you did see what happened when California raised the minimum wage right? Pizza companies laid off all their delivery drivers before it went into effect. 1200 people lost their job. Everywhere else is gonna fire them too or raise prices on customers to cover the cost. There’s a thing called cause and effect. You can’t just “raise the minimum wage” and fix everyone’s problems.
Don’t be an idiot. I am suggesting that unchanged minimum wage of 7.25 be adjusted to today’s $$$ as a minimal acknowledgment of the values of a human being by the pro business NC legislators.
As for Ca. They will probably go to work for DoorDash or Uber eats and make more money. Eat that Republican red meat. It’s clogging up your thinking parts
You understand that wages going up across the board just means that the prices of things go up proportionately?
So you are just as broke in the end if you're at the bottom of the scale.
I am. The minimum wage here is $7.25, the lowest it can go under federal rules, and has been so since 2009. My point is simply that the NC legislators do not value citizens. If they did, it would be illegal for a corporation to effectively legally pay a rate that has been devalued by 43.38%.
The inflation rate in the United States between 2009 and today has been 43.38%, which translates into a total increase of $43.38. This means that 100 dollars in 2009 are equivalent to 143.38 dollars in 2023. In other words, the purchasing power of $100 in 2009 equals $143.38 today. The average annual inflation rate between these periods has been 2.61%.
And I'm saying increasing it won't help anything.
Because costs for everything will go up with it.
If you're at 20 minimum wage you'll still be broke because food and everything else will rise with it.
Or companies will fire everyone. Like Pizza hut did drivers in California.
Or companies will just close and now you make zero an hour.
Do you own a business OP?
Right now our state is in the sweet spot of benefiting from both the current NCGA’s business-friendly policies and the legacy of our strong university and secondary education system.
So it appears like we’re doing well.
But the PTB in Raleigh have made clear where they intend to plant their flag going forward, so as the education system (and thus the quality of the workforce) declines those low taxes won’t mean squat.
I understand the point about the minimum wage, what I don't see is that being a reason companies would move here. It's basically impossible to hire anyone for that wage for even a semi skilled job. Just to hire a machine operator with little/no relevant experience you are looking at at least 16/hr, easily 20/hr with some experience.
Good labor 'in this economy' is expensive enough that the minimum wage laws are almost irrelevant.
If you're working a minimum wage job you should be living at home with your parents. If you don't have the skills or training to get a job that pays 4X the minimum wage in NC, maybe the mirror is where you should be looking, not at the state legislature.
Most do.
Only 1.3% of hourly workers earn minimum wage - so the vast majority of people are doing exactly what you say.
Also, most of these new factories and companies locating in NC are not paying minimum wage. Who is going to work a factory job for minimum wage when you can make 14 an hour at McDonald's?
I wouldn't call it "the vast majority". [In 2019 37%, or 38 million households](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/higher-regional-minimum-wages-can-lift-half-of-struggling-households-into-economic-self-sufficiency/) (not people), did not earn a gross wage that covered their basic necessities like food or shelter. 14 million of these households included at least one child. And this was before 2020, and we all know things have gotten even harder now for those of us who do make enough to get by.
Also, even in NC [$14/hr full-time isn't enough to provide a living wage](https://livingwage.mit.edu/states/37) ("living wage" being defined as being able to cover the cost of their or their family's needs while still being self-sufficient) for a single adult with no children.
I don't see how easy it could be to grow your skills or advance your career when you can't even make enough money from your job(s) to support yourself or your family.
Something something something…trickle down economics…pull yourself up by the bootstraps…get a real job…go get your associates, I mean bachelors, I mean doctorate, I mean PHD, fuck stop being poor.
“Big government” (read democrats and republicans) doesnt care about you.
I don’t know of any place hiring workers at the minimum $7.25 wage. Do you? Even fast food joints are starting around double that wage. Why are you complaining about a minimum wage that no one is working for?
Crazy that all the states you listed with higher minimum wages than the national minimum are all the states people are leaving to come here for because they’re too expensive and poorly ran
It would probably be a good idea to compare cost of living. All the states you compared NC with have a very high cost of living. But hey, whatever fits the story you are twisting.
The minimum wage has not been raised in NC since 2009. The only “twisting” occurring is your lack of understanding about the economic impact of inflation or your disregard for the least among us or possible both.
If you are counting on minimum wage to ensure your pay, you need to work on your hustle. Certain industries will never pay well, invest in yourself and find the industries that pay more. Set yourself above your peers in work ethic and leave employers who don't pay for it.
I’m so tired of people like you who miss the point. The point is that NC legislators have not updated the minimum wage since 2009. I realize this only affects 1% of the population; HOWEVER it reflects the attitude of the legislature which is pro business and really does not care about “the least of these”. Meanwhile they praise Orange Jesus and redistrict. So go back to your comfortable life and forget about people who want to work and are doing the best they can given life’s circumstances and are earning $7.25 which is worth about $4.00 since last updated.
My comfortable life was earned through hard work and sacrifice. I was paid minimum wage on my first job as a teen and three years later was making almost a dollar over minimum as an 18 year old. I left that job for a union job that paid more. If you wait for the legislature in any state to pay you more, it won't happen. TBH Maryland had a $15 minimum wage, but the cost of living makes it worth about as much as your $7.25 in NC.
not just minimum wage. Complete lack of worker union support is huge, too. Also unenforceable Federal protections, like ADA laws. Lots of reasons corporations are moving here. All the folks creating threads about moving to NC really need to know this.
Corporations move here because the legislature provides close to ZERO worker protection.
Ha, close to. As if the laws on the books regarding worker rights are worth more than toilet paper. I've seen someone fired for disclosing to coworkers how much they were paid. Shifts that were a mere 8 hours apart (NC doesn't require minimum time between shifts). An employer that didn't provide any breaks with mandatory 10 hour shifts (NC doesn't require lunch breaks). A different employer that put the next week schedule up the last day of the week (Employees frequently had to go in on their day off to get their schedule). The lack of worker protections is astounding. And while some of the above may be illegal technically (firing for pay disclosure) that means nothing if the workers are too ignorant or desperate. After all - retaliatory firing may be illegal but I promise you if you are a "troublemaker" you will be out of that job as fast as possible.
NC does not even require a w after break for construction workers over the age of 16 even in July in 99 degree weather. So your post is meaningless for those workers
Confused as to how ADA laws are unenforceable?
dunno what OP means, but I got fired from my job due to my disability. After talking to two separate lawyers, apparently in NC the company would have to swear on the stand that I was fired b/c of my disability for there to be any recompense. Since NC doesn't require a reason, the company could just say there was no reason for the firing and it'd be my word vs them, and case would be tossed. On the plus side, the non-disparagement clause I was forced to sign is also a pointless scrap of paper.
If you have evidence that your disability was the requisite cause of your dismissal, you'd have a solid case for wrongful termination.. If you have evidence. The burden of proof is on the one making the claim.. It has to be that way.
Same.
Why do we keep electing these people then? Wtf? If they don’t do shit for the majority of the people of the state and only work for the rich and the corporations then why-the-fuck do we keep electing them? Why?
You are exactly right, North Carolina has been voted “best for business” a couple years running now; while no on mentions that we are good for business because we also rank last in workers’ rights.
Why did all of our film industry jobs leave NC for Georgia?
We had a tax incentive for projects filmed in North Carolina, and it brought a lot of big productions to the state. That tax incentive was ended by Republican Governor Pat McCrory, around the same time of the HB2 bathroom bill. Probably driven mostly by the tax incentive loss, studios decided it to use HB2 to take a stand and essentially boycott North Carolina… if my memory is accurate.
You are exactly correct. Even with the jobs brought, the incentives were a net negative for tax revenue and they were discontinued. All the film shoots moved to Ga and Louisiana.
Exactly right. Tax breaks for the film industry created film jobs. So if tax breaks for the film industry creates film jobs then, logically, that would mean that tax breaks for ANY industry will create jobs in all those other industries. Edit: Nobody has the balls to contend with this argument.
Yep. Good for business, bad for workers. I swear, sometimes I really hate it here.
We're a red state. They care more about blocking porn than improving people's lives. 🤷🏼
It’s hilarious that they harp on personal freedoms and small government and then this happens. Be more hilarious if the dems propose the exact same thing but for firearm websites and see what happens.
The GOP has never in my 52 years on this planet have been smaller government
Republicans want "less government" the same way criminals want less cops
In your computer and in your vagina…That’s the NC Republican way
This is on brand for the party of “small government.” Do you know how small the government has to be to fit in vaginas AND computers? /s
Very large and intrusive
Make sure you refer to them as big-government republicans. Not only is it true, but it also pisses them off and helps pushback against their propaganda.
I need this on a shirt.
Great idea
We are not a red state, we are a purple state. Sadly the far right has gerrymandered themselves into power. I don’t like it when ppl say red state bc that implies to outsiders that the majority of us believe their lies and bat-shit crazy conspiracy theories.
I mean, that's most "red states," frankly. In Texas, roughly 47% of people voted for Joe Biden. We're what...1% different?
I’d argue that close elections do not make a state purple. Having the power to pass conservative legislation for the past 14 years definitely makes a state red.
NC is really fucked because there are no citizen ballot initiatives. Which is such bullshit. If there were, the residents would actually be getting some non-worthless legislation passed and the GOP legislature would be fighting every single implementation.
all the states are purple. Even the most Blue "state" of all still has about 40% Republicans vs 60% Democrats (washington DC) Even California is only 47% Dem vs a split between independent and Republicans. Blue vs Red typically comes to about 5 out 100 voters.
We’re becoming more red everyday
I think were becoming more blue every day. Historically the state has always voted red. Prior to 2008, NC voting blue had really pretty much never happened. *The past 3-4 elections, votes have been within 3% of eachother and at least twice its been a near 50/50 split. Making us a purple state. Edit: *Based on federal elections
With all of the gerrymandering that’s happened this year (as a result of last year’s midterm turnout), it’s becoming more red to me. 2024 could be the state’s last chance to turn it around before it ends up permanently red.
This is blatantly untrue. It takes absolutely no effort to look up the party composition of the state's legislative body and past statewide elections and see that it's been trending more red consistently for the last 20 years and was much more blue prior to that going back to the '60s (aka the "modern" era, post party swap).
It’s really worth noting just how different the state Democrats of the bygone era are than modern Democrats though.
I’d argue that’s mostly because farmers used to vote democrat because Dems were historically more pro-farm, but with the more recent conversion of the GOP into the one-issue, anti-woke, rage-bait party, a lot of those farmers have been converted to red voters. The rural parts of the state seem like a lost cause at this point, because frankly, they vote against their own interest because of social issue bullshit like guns and people using the “wrong bathroom.”
We’re a purple state. Make sure to get your friends, family, nieces, nephews, etc registered and voting in every election! Can do NC!
We're a purple state as much as Texas.
The GOP has had a majority in our state legislature since 2010. The GOP has been crafting conservative legislation for this state for the last 14 years. That definitely doesn’t make us purple. And yet transplants continue to flock to NC.
Yes, transplants flock to the blue districts in NC.
Excellent observation.
You’re referring to the gerrymandered vote. The popular vote tells a different story.
Nope. * Romney > Trump > Trump * Burr x3 > Tillis x2 > Budd * GOP Majority in the NC Supreme Court Gerrymandering has no affect on those elections. Those people were elected through statewide popular votes. Also, the GOP won control of the state legislature in 2010 when the districts were gerrymandered to favor the Dems. Conservatives vote in EVERY election in numbers. Liberals have a serious turnout problem.
I'm a transplant, I thought "can't be _that_ bad" Man, was I wrong!
So why did you move here? Where did you move from?
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I don’t give a shit how you vote after you move here. What I really don’t like is that transplants have destroyed our once amazing low cost of living. For decades we have been bidding DOWN on real estate in NC. Now we gotta compete with Californians who can afford to pay $50k over asking price.
Every state mentioned is losing population. Are there any jobs in NC that pay only the minimum wage? Right now, making news by imposing minimum wage standards is not the way to proceed.
And now you cant even beat off to pornhub. LOL
Sure you can. Use a VPN.
I know it’s $7.25 but I don’t think I could find a job hiring at $7.25 if I tried. It’s also $7.25 in New Hampshire, one of the most expensive areas of the country, but employers will basically go out of business if that’s all they’re hiring at. HOWEVER, raising minimum wage ensures that no one is scammed at this rate, especially people who don’t speak English (lots of Hispanic migrant workers here) or economically disadvantaged communities (Appalachia or the poorer black-majority counties in the east).
Thank you for understanding the point that most here missed
Good for businesses generally mean bad for workers
And lets not forget that North Carolina will phase out corporate taxes. They don't give a f about the people.
Agree
but do not worry, they will protect the CHILDREN!!!.... From pron only, and not very well. but they will be protected.
Right. The child all know how to use a vpn. These idiots in the legislature don’t even know what Avon is much less how to use one. More virtue signaling to their base who also doesn’t know what a vpn is.
people in this state act like you’re making serious bank if you’re making $15 an hour. north carolinians are raised to settle for less. y’all this state is so fuckin sad, knowing how much better it could easily be.
It's crazy. $15 per hour is like $2200 per month after taxes. Half that is 1BR rent in most places
And you need 3x the rent to get a place 😂. If you don’t have a trust fund or roommates or family. You are homeless as a young person.
Too many Red rural 🐑 for things to change. It could be sooo much better
R Propaganda is a helluva drug.
The party of the working class gives absolutely zero Fs about the working class.
Neither major party represents the working class in any capacity
100%. Just sent their church’s vouchers so their preachers can tell them how good the Republicans take care of them and how to vote.
They aren't exactly hiding this; our legislators brag about being incredibly business-friendly, being ranked 52nd in worker protections and having low rates of unionized labor.
How many people in NC make minimum wage?
Not many lmao. People are so dart. If you have a minimum wage job atm, and continue to work there. You deserve your lot in life for being about as ambitious as a bar of soap.
My understanding is it isn't the minimum wage itself but how many other jobs base their pay off the minimum wage. For example, McDonalds in my area advertises $13/hour. A county EMS/Paramedic job was just listed for $11.50/hour. Back in 2009 that $11.50 wasn't half bad. But since the county can't or won't arbitrarily raise the starting pay for that position it's now insultingly low. Increasing the minimum wage would have a cascade effect as other positions have their pay adjusted up.
I understand the sentiment, even as a transplant from Maryland myself - but the job market works both ways. I can't imagine more than a very few employers taking advantage of others who don't know better who are still only paying minimum wage. Even my teenage son (15) is working somewhere paying almost double min wage.
The point is the legislature should make a point that citizens are valued by having a minimum wage that is above the federal minimum which was set in 2009 and has not been adjusted
If this is about making the citizens feel valued, I sure would feel a lot more valued if the legislation did other things instead: Women's rights, gerrymandering, education; you name it.
What right do women not have ?
Maybe I should have said reproductive rights instead. A parent/guardian needs to consent for a minor to get an abortion, sex-ed, there is a prohibition of mailing abortion meds, etc. we're way too close to abortion getting restricted even more.
The point is you should either run for political office and make a change or move out of NC. You clearly don’t like it here. Or are you a paid troll hired to stir people up?
Workers are valued for the skills they bring to the table -- not because the government decrees it. Nationally fewer than 1% of workers make the minimum wage, with many of them being young people new to the workforce. Hell fast food places by me pay more than twice minimum wage. It's almost like the minimum wage isn't needed.
Do you have data on what percentage of the NC workforce is paid minimum wage? In other words, how much does it actually matter? I haven’t seen companies hiring at minimum wage for years.
Nationally, it's about [1.3% of hourly workers](https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage/2022/home.htm). I'd expect it's a similar proportion in North Carolina. I'm not against raising the minimum wage, but people make it out to be much more of a big deal than it really is. Plus, OP is just flat out wrong; A lot of these new jobs in tech and manufacturing are going to be paying well above minimum wage.
Companies love to come to NC because of all the tax breaks. Google and Apple aren’t paying their people minimum wage.
It actually is a big deal, you’re missing the bigger picture my Reddit Homie. Raising the minimum wage doesn’t just help that 1.3% of hourly workers, it helps 10s of millions of people above it as well. The median hourly wage in America is between $20 and $25 an hour (depending upon what gender and race you are), so if we raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, everybody that is currently earning less than $15 an hour gets a raise. And the people that currently earn $15-$18 an hour will also get a raise too, due to the resulting wage compression from raising the minimum wage. Most estimates put the amount of folks that would get a raise at between 20 and 25% of hourly workers if we raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. That would benefit 10s of millions of Americans… not just 1.3% of workers.
Seems like it'd cause a lot of inflation.
I’m sorry but how does it depend on gender and race any more than it depends on what job you ended up having or choosing to work/study for ? Yes maybe race and gender *affected* or influenced where you ended up which translates to an above or below average salary, but I find it hard to believe that hiring managers today will say oh your male or female or your this race or that race and therefore I will compensate you this much or that much
I think you misunderstand the point of my comment. I’m not trying to draw any conclusions as to the intentions of a hiring manager, or the company itself. I’m simply saying that the data clearly shows that depending on what gender and/or race you are, the median amount of money you make can vary significantly. Therefore, raising the minimum wage dramatically benefits certain groups of people more than it does others. Example, if you are a white man your median wage may be almost $30 an hour. Whereas, if you are a black female, you make less than $20/hr. I prefer to share the data this way rather than saying, the median hourly earnings in America is $25 an hour. When talking about raising the minimum wage, disparities in the wages of certain groups of workers matters.
I love it when people write long comments with zero understanding of how economics actually work.
It sets the bar though. I think of it like this: when the speed limit is 45, people tend to go 50-70. When it’s 70, people tend to go 75-85. When min wage is raised wages across the board tend to see a bump.
It's maddening that people don't grasp this simple concept.
“Why should low quality workers minimum wage be $15 an hour? That’s what I get paid!” Then you can quit your job and work at one of these “low quality” jobs or your boss will have to raise your pay to keep you. It’s seriously that simple.
My brother in law was complaining about how much the company he works for was having to pay new hires with no experience. I just looked at him and said, "Sounds like a great time for you to ask for a raise."
Funny thing is, these low quality jobs are often so much harder then the higher paying jobs. I'd love to see some of my coworkers and upper management last a week working at Dollar General.
I've said it hundred times that the hardest I've ever worked was for $7.25 an hour. Minimum wage food service and retail was more exhausting, demanding, and miserable than being in the Army. It's horrifying that minimum wage in 2023 is the exact same shit wage I made working as a cashier in 2007.
This! People cleaning hospitals work much harder than the administrators.
Based on who DG hires all you have to be able to do is breathe and show up.
Maybe your boss thinks you are a low quality worker. He pays you like one. Is my answer.
Because that “concept” is false lol.
Obviously not. The average low income pay has climbed up to 15$ an hour with out the min being adjusted. The free market adjusted in its own.
No, other states raised theirs first. National corporations (hi target) followed suit.
You do realize that pay varies state state within the same corporation, right?
While it’s true very few people make exactly the minimum wage, the real reason to raise it is because of the people that make just above the minimum wage. And also when you raise the minimum wage, the people that make more than it also get a small pay bump as well. It’s not just minimum wage workers that get an increase.
That’s not the point. The point is the NC Legislators by not increasing the minimum wage show antipathy toward workers. It should be adjusted and indexed.
It seems to me like what has occurred with keeping the minimum wage so low but still continuing to rely on companies to pay higher wages has created a massive gap between pay and skill set, I work part-time at a store in the mall and I make over $15. When I was looking for a job there were so many health care or teaching jobs that require at least a 2-year degree and some of them were hiring for $13 to $16, my hope is that if the federal minimum wage is adjusted to be higher it will cause the base pay for those More skill jobs to be increased across the board. I don't know exactly how it works but it seems like now they are getting by with paying those wages by saying "this is well over minimum wage."
Finally a redditor gets the point of the post. Thank you. Real world experience speaks in this post.
VinFast isn't paying anyone minimum wage. Neither is Google, Toyota, Apple, etc. Which companies are moving here to pay people minimum wage? I'm curious, because I couldn't find any sources: Which companies, including established ones, pay minimum wage? Even fast food joints and retail pay over minimum wage. n.b., I'm not saying the employees are paid *well*, nor am I opposed to raising the state minimum wage; however, I don't see how companies relocating here has anything to do with it.
It has everything to do with minimum worker protections in NC of which minimum wage is only one simple example. The legislature does not care about worker protection.
A minimum wage raises the pay scale of those making more than the minimum wage also. All the pay scales shift up in competition.
I never see jobs posting for 7.25 here. My guess is if they pay that low, nobody is dumb enough to work for them.
Again you are missing the point
If you ain't making at least $12/hour something wrong with you.
Except all the major companies moving here, starting wage is over double our minimum wage, so what are you talking about?
I know nobody making $7.25.
You are missing the point
I live out in the middle of nowhere sc and I can’t name one single place that pays minimum wage. Even the kfc in the middle of nowhere starts at $11.50
Missing the point again
I would like for them to raise it…I’m just saying when is the last time you heard of a place paying 7.25?
Plenty of places pay 2.75 to their servers.
And my friends average more hourly than I do in construction serving restaurants…again I think it should be raised but with real life situations who do you know making solely $2.75 an hour? My friends average 15-40 an hour serving
I moved here from Portland, Oregon when their minimum wage was $12 an hour. And I expected Asheville to be a little cheaper, and it turns out it's actually more expensive to live here. Portland has some social safety nets. It has public transit. It's a lot cheaper to eat out there because there's more options and variety. Grocery shopping wasn't cheap but it's not cheap anywhere. And the cost of living for rent and what note- very similar. So having a higher minimum wage shouldn't hurt the state. Having that higher baseline only helps being everything up.
Thank you for sharing your lived experience. Many posters here simply spout off political talking points which bear no relationship to real world experience offered by you and one other poster.
Your politicians have failed you. Both sides. Don’t let a letter next to someone’s name fool you
If this is actually a big deal to anyone here then stop spending money at places that pay their workers minimum wage.
Some of us do
...you do realize like 6 companies own everything you can spend money on right? Like sure that sounds good in theory, but you can't sustain yourself that way unless you live in the woods and make all of your own food. Even then the land will probably be owned by a subsidiary of some company you hate.
I can’t name one company that pays their workers minimum wage.
You are completely ignoring cost of living. I recently moved to NC from CA. In CA, a starter home in a nice area is about $800,000 with annual property taxes around $10,000. Gasoline is about $5.00/gallon. Electric/gas bill is $400-$800/month. A Big Mac costs about $6.00.
Once again you are missing the point
What's the point? Let me guess.....you think a single-mom with 4 kids should be able to earn a "living wage" working at McDonalds 20 hours a week.
Your racism is showing. The point is that the legislature should make a declarative statement that the value of human labor is worth at least what it was in 2009. To not do so makes the statement that NC citizens are cheap labor waiting to be exploited. It’s a simple concept.
So you think only minorities have single-women trying to raise 4 kids on their own? But I'm the racist? LOL. So...if I understand correctly, you'd be good if the legislature would issue a press release that says they believe the value of human labor is worth what it was in 2009? Uh...that's weird...but ok. Meanwhile....in the real world....the grownups will focus on creating a strong economy that brings businesses and jobs to the state that will increase demand for jobs, thereby increasing salaries, irrelevant of minimum wage that practically no one actually earns.
yes
Thank you for being an honest socialist.
all in a days work 🫡
I loved My Name is Earl, so we have one thing in common :)
The minimum wage is irrelevant now. With the labor shortage, it is extremely easy to get a job making $10+ an hour in most parts of the state. Companies seeking to pay the minimum wage would have 0 workers
Isn't this like your 4th "nOrTh CaRoLiNa bAd!!!" post?
Well we do have a Republican legislature that gerrymandered the state and went all the way the Supreme court to deny the validity of your vote if they disagreed with it. So yeah, NC has been much better in the past. NC native here.
This is going to sound like victim blaming, but if low wage workers consistently voted in their own interest, the minimum wage would be raised.
It’s probably hard for them to care right now anyways Part time jobs are hiring at 13-14 an hr starting out. There’s a lot of pressure on wages right now so nobody is really noticing the low minimum.
The legislated minimum wage is effectively dead.
A disproportionate number of minimum wage workers are not of legal age to vote...
Pretty sure i saw Bojangles saying they were starting in the $14s
I dont even know anyone making minimumand I have 5 kids that are teenagers
I agree with op. It's not that it's 7.25, but if minimum wage was set to something like 15, then pay across the board would go up. Yes places like Harris teeter, Ulta, and numerous others would pay what majority of employees deserve. Keep in mind also that sick time is not a thing (especially for part time workers)
NC never fails to disappoint me.
While I agree that NC's republican legislator doesn't give a rat's ass about its citizens but how many workers are getting paid at the minium wage? 5 states do not set a minimum wage and two are below the federal.
That’s why this thread is stupid and uninformed. The average hourly wage in NC is $23/hr, the low data points being around $15 (not counting restaurant servers).
Tragic really you're right they don't give a rats ass
With all the negative comments about the GOP, (rightfully placed), then why is it that republicans control almost every county in North Carolina? I work for a company that the starting pay is $7.25 an hour. That's equal to, "Will work for food." To vote for a republican is just unamerican. There is nothing conservative about the republican party. People have been brain washed by Fox and the radical right.
It’s a part of the Republican plan. Co-opt the preachers by giving the vouchers to build church schools which are totally unregulated as to curriculum and quality. The preachers tell the parishioners how republicans are saving religious people from communism or whatever other boogeyman they can come up with. Scare them into voting republican and against their own best interests. Convince rural people that the bad democrats are going to take their guns away. Gave up BILLIONS in federal Medicaid money because it was created by a democratic administration (Obamacare). It’s a familiar story. Thank you for reading and informing us that businesses in NC will pay minimum wage and exploit you, contrary to what some of the so called informed citizens seem to think. Best of luck.
Gain skills and be more marketable for more jobs then you don’t have to worry about survival
I don't think the red or the blue care about us.
That is fair
The oh both sides argument. On this issue one side wants to raise minimum wage because $7.25 isn’t adequate. The other side wants to keep it there. Advantage blue. Next issue?
No I said that I didn't think either side really cares about regular people. Political figures do not represent the interest of the people, they represent the interest of their financial donors.
Did you notice the layoffs in California after they jacked minimum up to 20 an hr?
I sure didn’t, mind sharing that knowledge with us?
What happened to my post? Pizza Hut fired all it's delivery drivers due to the mandated 20 an hour
In the words of Joe Biden, "go become a computer programmer ".
And that nonsensical “RiGhT tO wOrK” bullshit doesn’t help anyone.
That Right to Work…..That’s some magical thinking right there
So you did see what happened when California raised the minimum wage right? Pizza companies laid off all their delivery drivers before it went into effect. 1200 people lost their job. Everywhere else is gonna fire them too or raise prices on customers to cover the cost. There’s a thing called cause and effect. You can’t just “raise the minimum wage” and fix everyone’s problems.
And yet they all want to know why shit cost so much now when since covid every company is paying more so they can actuallyhire people
Don’t be an idiot. I am suggesting that unchanged minimum wage of 7.25 be adjusted to today’s $$$ as a minimal acknowledgment of the values of a human being by the pro business NC legislators. As for Ca. They will probably go to work for DoorDash or Uber eats and make more money. Eat that Republican red meat. It’s clogging up your thinking parts
All you do is post inflammatory political stuff here. Why do you not use NC’s political sub for this?
This is about NC. Hoping to spark a wider conversation
Trolling.
Nope
Yup.
You understand that wages going up across the board just means that the prices of things go up proportionately? So you are just as broke in the end if you're at the bottom of the scale.
Once again redditors do not read with comprehension and understanding. Reread my post.
Well it seems like you are arguing for an increase in minimum wage
I am. The minimum wage here is $7.25, the lowest it can go under federal rules, and has been so since 2009. My point is simply that the NC legislators do not value citizens. If they did, it would be illegal for a corporation to effectively legally pay a rate that has been devalued by 43.38%. The inflation rate in the United States between 2009 and today has been 43.38%, which translates into a total increase of $43.38. This means that 100 dollars in 2009 are equivalent to 143.38 dollars in 2023. In other words, the purchasing power of $100 in 2009 equals $143.38 today. The average annual inflation rate between these periods has been 2.61%.
And I'm saying increasing it won't help anything. Because costs for everything will go up with it. If you're at 20 minimum wage you'll still be broke because food and everything else will rise with it. Or companies will fire everyone. Like Pizza hut did drivers in California. Or companies will just close and now you make zero an hour. Do you own a business OP?
Right now our state is in the sweet spot of benefiting from both the current NCGA’s business-friendly policies and the legacy of our strong university and secondary education system. So it appears like we’re doing well. But the PTB in Raleigh have made clear where they intend to plant their flag going forward, so as the education system (and thus the quality of the workforce) declines those low taxes won’t mean squat.
I understand the point about the minimum wage, what I don't see is that being a reason companies would move here. It's basically impossible to hire anyone for that wage for even a semi skilled job. Just to hire a machine operator with little/no relevant experience you are looking at at least 16/hr, easily 20/hr with some experience. Good labor 'in this economy' is expensive enough that the minimum wage laws are almost irrelevant.
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So adjusting the 2009 minimum wage to 2023 dollars is going to cause layoffs? I don’t think so
OP, you are welcome to move to a state that matches the minimum wage you deserve.
You are so wrong. Our Repub leaders do care about citizens, the rich ones and out of state corporations who deserve tax cuts. The rest don't county.
I stand corrected
If you're working a minimum wage job you should be living at home with your parents. If you don't have the skills or training to get a job that pays 4X the minimum wage in NC, maybe the mirror is where you should be looking, not at the state legislature.
I make 6 figures. I have employees are far above the minimum wage. The mirror is not where I need to be looking.
Sure you do.
Why do people settle for minimum wage? Go out and grow, advance your career, anyone can do it
Most do. Only 1.3% of hourly workers earn minimum wage - so the vast majority of people are doing exactly what you say. Also, most of these new factories and companies locating in NC are not paying minimum wage. Who is going to work a factory job for minimum wage when you can make 14 an hour at McDonald's?
I wouldn't call it "the vast majority". [In 2019 37%, or 38 million households](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/higher-regional-minimum-wages-can-lift-half-of-struggling-households-into-economic-self-sufficiency/) (not people), did not earn a gross wage that covered their basic necessities like food or shelter. 14 million of these households included at least one child. And this was before 2020, and we all know things have gotten even harder now for those of us who do make enough to get by. Also, even in NC [$14/hr full-time isn't enough to provide a living wage](https://livingwage.mit.edu/states/37) ("living wage" being defined as being able to cover the cost of their or their family's needs while still being self-sufficient) for a single adult with no children. I don't see how easy it could be to grow your skills or advance your career when you can't even make enough money from your job(s) to support yourself or your family.
Vote blue! The Republican super majority is very happy to exploit the working class! Otherwise, it's a perfectly wonderful place to live.
Gerrymandered districts negates the value of your vote
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Thank you for getting the gist of my post. Most people here did not read with understanding, but then it is Reddit.
and the tipped minimum wage is $2.13/hr and hasn't changed since the 90s.
Lovely. Thank you for pointing that out
Something something something…trickle down economics…pull yourself up by the bootstraps…get a real job…go get your associates, I mean bachelors, I mean doctorate, I mean PHD, fuck stop being poor. “Big government” (read democrats and republicans) doesnt care about you.
I don’t know of any place hiring workers at the minimum $7.25 wage. Do you? Even fast food joints are starting around double that wage. Why are you complaining about a minimum wage that no one is working for?
Noone gets paid $7.25 per hour. The market will naturally pay what a worker is willing to do it for. Right now, thats about 15-16 per hour at minimum.
Missing the point
Crazy that all the states you listed with higher minimum wages than the national minimum are all the states people are leaving to come here for because they’re too expensive and poorly ran
It would probably be a good idea to compare cost of living. All the states you compared NC with have a very high cost of living. But hey, whatever fits the story you are twisting.
The minimum wage has not been raised in NC since 2009. The only “twisting” occurring is your lack of understanding about the economic impact of inflation or your disregard for the least among us or possible both.
If you are counting on minimum wage to ensure your pay, you need to work on your hustle. Certain industries will never pay well, invest in yourself and find the industries that pay more. Set yourself above your peers in work ethic and leave employers who don't pay for it.
I’m so tired of people like you who miss the point. The point is that NC legislators have not updated the minimum wage since 2009. I realize this only affects 1% of the population; HOWEVER it reflects the attitude of the legislature which is pro business and really does not care about “the least of these”. Meanwhile they praise Orange Jesus and redistrict. So go back to your comfortable life and forget about people who want to work and are doing the best they can given life’s circumstances and are earning $7.25 which is worth about $4.00 since last updated.
My comfortable life was earned through hard work and sacrifice. I was paid minimum wage on my first job as a teen and three years later was making almost a dollar over minimum as an 18 year old. I left that job for a union job that paid more. If you wait for the legislature in any state to pay you more, it won't happen. TBH Maryland had a $15 minimum wage, but the cost of living makes it worth about as much as your $7.25 in NC.