Teens Hurt by Minimum Wage

Montana has hiked the floor on wages by 50 percent, killing entry-level jobs

HELENA — A report released Aug. 3 by a Bozeman-based free market think tank finds that Montana's nearly 50 percent minimum wage increases since 2005 has served up 1,200 fewer teen jobs, and calls on Congress to repeal the law.

The study also calls on the Legislature to default to the federal minimum wage of $7.25, "which will be 55 cents less than the likely state minimum wage increase to $7.80 starting in 2013."