Opponents of the minimum wage contend that it is not the best way to
combat poverty. They note that a high minimum wage causes unemployment,
encourages teenagers to drop out of school, and prevents some unskilled workers
from getting the on-the-job training they need. Moreover, opponents of the
minimum wage point out that the minimum wage is a poorly targeted policy.
Not all minimum-wage workers are heads of households trying to help their
families escape poverty. In fact, fewer than a third of minimum-wage earners
are in families with incomes below the poverty line. Many are teenagers from
middle-class homes working at part-time jobs for extra spending money