Higher costs of labor tend to lead to higher costs of production. This can force businesses to develop strategies that will allow them to attain the same levels of current production but in a more efficient manner. A common strategy is to replace existing workers with those who are more productive. The idea is that by utilizing workers who are more productive, businesses can employ fewer, which should help to account for the increase in labor costs. While this may be beneficial to businesses, it can be absolutely devastating for the American workforce, especially those who have not yet had the opportunity to develop any work experience. As New American contributor William P. Hoar puts it: “ If a would-be employee in today’s weak market is not worth $7.25 per hour, the current federal mandate pushing that minimum even higher will surely accomplish at least one thing: It will hurt employment even more” (Hoar, 2013). In essence, minimum wage increases have the potential to eliminate low-skilled positions including entry-level