[throwaway4496]

> Wages often go over or close to the minimum anyway, due to market forces, and do so without costly bureaucracy/enforcement/taxation/distortion

Yes, when there is an shortage or competitive number of low wage workers, not when unemployment rate is approaching 5% overall and close to 20% for low income earning bracket in most places.

[nomilk]

That's the virtue of the pricing system! The invisible hand means if wages are low in particular profession, it encourages looking elsewhere, particularly in professions in short supply, whose wages will be high.

[throwaway4496]

Yeah, nah, the idea that the problem with low income workers is that they're not pulling themselves by their shoestrings properly is well and thoroughly debunked.

People don't work in low income jobs because it is the easiest option, but because it is the only option often.

[standardUser]

> it encourages looking elsewhere

Which is why the only rational position of a true believer in the free market is to abolish international borders.