[codemac]

$14/hour * 40 hours/week * 50 weeks is $28k/year.

$20/hour * 40 hours/week * 50 weeks is $40k/year.

This is life changing amounts different.

Considering a living wage is considered $14/hour for Idaho[0] for a single, unmarried, no kids adult, I think the bigger problem is probably not unemployment, but with businesses not realizing that their wages are not competitive for labor against almost anything else.

You can't pay the median or worse and expect hiring to be quickly, especially in Boise - a growing urban area that is probably well outside the state's average.

[0]: https://livingwage.mit.edu/states/16

[bryanlarsen]

To emphasize your point in other words, this means that the difference between $14 and $20 is massive. $14/hr will just cover food & rent & essentials with nothing left for quality of life. $20/hr means you can afford beer.