California Poll Finds Nearly Half In Favor Of Further Minimum Wage Hikes
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — Nearly half of Californians say the state's first increase in the minimum wage in six years isn't enough and should be raised even further, according to a new Field Poll.
KNX 1070's Claudia Peschiutta reports a majority of Californians are unhappy with the wealth and income gap in the state but are divided over whether the government should do more to intervene or whether to raise the minimum wage.
Calif. Poll Finds Nearly Half In Favor Of Further Minimum Wage Hikes
With the state minimum wage rising to $9 an hour this week and set to climb to $10 an hour in 2016, the survey released Wednesday (PDF) found at least 37 percent said the increases that are already taking effect are adequate, The Associated Press reported.
About one in 10 believe the rate has already been raised too much.
Field Poll director Mark DiCamillo said the lowest income segment was the most supportive of further minimum wage increases.
"The biggest differences are by party: Democrats in favor, Republicans opposed and by ideology, conservatives opposed, liberals in favor," DiCamillo said.
The largest differences of opinion about the issue were found between Californians who were born in the U.S. and those who were not by a two-to-one margin, according to the survey.
Concerns about the widening income gap are also expected to play a role in this year's race for governor, where Republican Neel Kashkari has sought to highlight California's status as having the highest poverty rate in the nation as he challenges incumbent Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown.
The Field Poll interviewed 1,020 adults from June 5-22. The poll has a sampling error margin of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
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