Up From Poverty

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Laws that mandate a LIVING WAGE have helped reduce poverty, according to a study by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. The laws, instituted in nearly 40 cities, mandate a HIGHER MINIMUM wage than the Federal Government's $5.15 per hour. Critics have long argued that the living wage can REDUCE JOBS, since employers may be unwilling or unable to pay higher wages. And living-wage laws don't cover all workers, often only those whose employers have city contracts. Still, in cities like SAN FRANCISCO (where the living wage is $10 an hour), the report says the laws, on balance, have made people's lives better.