The ripple effect of Jackson Lab's base-pay boost
The increase of minimum wage at Jackson Laboratory is getting praise from some politicians and educators in the state, with its rolling-out and effect on the community at large adding more talking points into November’s ballot question that looks to increase Maine’s minimum wage.
Philip Trostel, a professor of economics at University of Maine, told the Bangor Daily News that the Bar Harbor-based lab’s decision to adjust its minimum wage is an indicator of the improving economy. As wages increase, so too does the allure of working for Jackson Labs, which could spur more customers at area businesses.
“It they’re paying more than anyone else is, they’re going to get the pick of the litter,” Trostel told the BDN.
The increase could also provide similar business, like the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, with a larger qualified pool of potential employees in the area to choose from.
State Sen. Andre Cushing, assistant majority leader in the state Senate, told the BDN that businesses choosing to independently boost their minimum wage are a worthy alternative to legislative mandates, adding that state-imposed increases can misfire, leading to fewer hours as well as positions being eliminated.
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