保障勞動人員權益 最低工資政策會適得其反?
The hue and cry has gone up on both sides of the Atlantic among the righteous: raise the minimum wage! This ideological chant is considered an answer to poverty, inequality and even the route to productivity growth. But it is none of them: it is populist politics and bad economics.
大西洋兩岸的正義之聲越發響亮：提高最低工資吧！這種意識形態化的呼聲被視爲貧窮和不平等的解決之道，甚至是促進生產率增長的方法。但事實並非如此，相反，從政治學來講它是民粹主義，從經濟學來講也糟糕之極。If the price of labour rises, demand is likely to fall. That means fewer jobs. In the 21 EU countries with a minimum wage, unemployment is on average almost 50 per cent higher than in the seven countries without such legislation. Obliging business to pay staff more does not increase economic activity; it is merely redistribution but with added collateral damage.
如果勞動力價格上漲，對勞動力的需求可能下降，從而導致就業崗位減少。在21個制定最低工資標準的歐盟(EU)國家中，失業率平均比未制定最低工資的7國高出近50%。強迫企業提高員工薪酬不能促進經濟活動；這樣做不過是再分配，而且有副作用。Fantasists and fanatics believe that across-the-board pay increases suddenly improve staff productivity. Sadly it is not the case – employees are doing the same job, just being paid more. Minimum wage increases are not performance-related – so why would anyone work harder if given a fixed, statutory increase?
幻想家和狂熱分子以爲，全面漲薪可以驟然提高員工生產率。但遺憾的是，事實並非如此：員工乾的是同樣的活，只是工資增加了。提高最低工資與績效完全無關。既然是依法提高固定額度的薪水，人們爲什麼還要更刻苦地工作呢？
When wages at the bottom rise, they push pay up through the entire system because employees want to keep differentials. Sharp wage increases lead to inflation. This all pushes up costs for companies, without higher sales or profits. Since returns must fall, these actions discourage investment. Through the downturn I invested to develop companies and help to create jobs. A large increase in the minimum wage in the UK would immediately freeze our hiring plans and cast doubt on future investments.
提高最低工資會引起整個薪酬體系的升高，因爲員工希望保持工資級差。最低工資驟增還會引發通脹。這樣增加了公司成本，但銷售額和利潤不會上升。由於回報率必然下降，這些舉措將傷害投資積極性。在衰退期間，我投資了一些企業，幫助它們發展，這創造了就業崗位。如果英國大幅提高最低工資，我們的招聘計劃將立即凍結，未來的投資也會蒙上疑雲。One of the tragedies of the minimum wage is that it is a tax on those companies that are large employers of the least well educated and those who do not possess scarce skills. Citizens at the bottom are further squeezed out of the market because they have become more expensive. It is a form of punishment for that cohort. Minimum wage increases positively encourage companies to seek alternatives to labour, such as outsourcing or automation. Even restaurants can move in this direction. If restaurateurs are obliged to pay more, then watch them adopt technology such as computerised ordering and buy more ready- prepared dishes made in industrial plants with lots of machines.
最低工資的一個害處是，它相當於對大量招聘教育水平低、沒有稀缺技能工人的企業徵收了一筆稅。由於僱傭成本升高，底層公民被進一步擠出就業市場。這相當於對他們的懲罰。提高最低工資的舉措會鼓勵企業尋找勞動力的替代品，例如外包或自動化。就連餐館都可以這樣做。如果餐館老闆被強迫提高員工工資，他們會採用電腦點單系統等技術，從機械化的工廠採購更多由機器製作好的熟食。The cheerleaders for minimum wage rises are typically academic economists. Most of them receive salaries from the taxpayer, directly or indirectly, and have never built a business or met a payroll. Their chief worries are publishing arcane papers; many can be wrong all their lives and never lose a penny of their own money. By contrast, entrepreneurs are the job creators and are the ones who go bust or give up if costs go up too much. They know that the answer to being stuck in a low-paid job is not coercion of the employer by the government to pay more but improved education for workers. Of course, that is a difficult and lengthy task to undertake: whereas a simple jump in the minimum wage seems quick and easy policy – but it actually undermines overall prosperity.
提高最低工資的倡導者通常是象牙塔裏的經濟學家。他們大多數人的工資直接或間接來自納稅人，從未創過業，也沒給別人付過工資。他們最關心的是發表晦澀的論文；許多經濟學家一生中可能犯過無數錯誤，但不會因此損失一分錢。相比之下，企業家是就業崗位的創造者，如果薪資成本太高，他們要麼破產要麼放棄。他們明白，低薪的解決辦法不是讓政府強迫僱主漲薪，而是提高工人教育水平。當然，這個任務艱鉅而漫長，而提高最低工資似乎簡單速效——但它有損總體的繁榮。In Britain we have the nonsense of a national minimum wage, which means the same price for labour despite vast regional differentials in the cost of living, unemployment levels and so forth. The supposed science of a precise minimum wage is entirely undermined by this unfortunate truth. Implementing various minimum wages would be complicated – but it is ever thus when arbitrary regulations interrupt voluntary market exchanges.
英國實行全國統一最低工資的荒唐制度，這意味着儘管全國各地生活成本、失業率水平等等差異巨大，但勞動力的價格卻是一樣的。這個不幸的事實完全破壞了最低工資制度所謂的科學性。因地制宜制定不同的最低工資標準實施起來頗爲複雜，但當主觀武斷的法規擾亂市場自由交換時，情況一貫是複雜的。It sounds a lovely gesture to raise low pay. Impractical romantics see it as the moral thing to do. Who could possibly object, save a rapacious capitalist? What such theorists fail to realise is that it restricts opportunities, fuels inflation, discourages investment and promotes labour substitution. If governments are so keen on the idea, then they should exempt more low-income citizens from all income and payroll taxes. That would help make work more rewarding and make it more attractive to work than claim welfare. Working almost invariably offers more dignity and superior health outcomes than a life on benefits – which is why it is so important to defeat unemployment and support job creation, rather than hinder it.
提高最低工資聽上去很美好。不切實際的理想主義者以爲這樣做是合乎道德的。除了貪婪的資本家以外，還有誰會反對？但理論家們沒有認識到，這會限制機會，助長通脹，打擊投資，鼓勵企業尋找勞動力的替代品。如果政府熱衷於這個想法，不妨免除更多低收入者的一切所得稅和工資稅。此舉有助於提高工作報酬，也能讓工作比領取救濟金更具有吸引力。比起靠福利爲生，工作幾乎肯定能帶來更多的尊嚴和健康——正因此，消除失業、促進（而不是阻礙）就業崗位的創造才如此重要。Raising minimum wages would hit the unskilled poor and inexperienced young hardest by killing job opportunities. How does that reduce inequality?
提高最低工資尤其傷害那些缺乏技能的窮人和沒有經驗的年輕人，讓他們沒有就業機會。這怎麼能減少不平等？
