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In two months, the legal minimum wage in the country of [#permalink]
 06 Jun 2008, 13:31
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44% (02:20) correct
55% (01:17) wrong based on 189 sessions
In two months, the legal minimum wage in the country of Kirlandia will increase from five Kirlandic dollars (KD5.00) per hour to KD5.50 per hour. Opponents of this increase have argued that the resulting rise in wages will drive the inflation rate up. In fact its impact on wages will probably be negligible, since only a very small proportion of all Kirlandic workers are currently receiving less than KD5.50 per hour. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument? (A) Most people in Kirlandia who are currently earning the minimum wage have been employed at their current jobs for less than a year (B) Some firms in Kirlandia have paid workers considerably less than KD5.00 per hour, in violation of kirlandic employment regulation (C) Many businesses hire trainees at or near the minimum wage but must reward trained workers by keeping their pay levels above the pay level of trainees. (D) The greatest growth in Kirlandia's economy in recent years has been in those sectors where workers earn wages that tend to be much higher than the minimum wage. (E) The current minimum wage is insufficient for a worker holding only one job to earn enough to support a family, even when working full time at that job.
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C - for if the minimum wage goes up, the trained employees wages might have to go up as well. Hence the argument that the impact of minimal wage increase on wages is minimal is weakened.
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puma wrote: In two months, the legal minimum wage in the country of Kirlandia will increase from five Kirlandic dollars (KD5.00) per hour to KD5.50 per hour. Opponents of this increase have argued that the resilting rise in wages will drive the inflation rate up. In fact its impact on wages will probably be negligible, since only a very small proportion of all Kirlandic workers are currently receiving less than KD5.50 per hour.
Which of the following, if true, most seriuosly weakens the argument?
a) Most people in Kirlandia who are currently earning the minimum wage have been employed at their current jobs for less than a year
b) SOme firms in Kirlandia have paid workers considerably less than KD5.00 per hour, in violation of kirlandic employment regulation
c) MAny businesses hire trainees at or near the minimum wage but must reward trained workers by keeping their paylevels above the pay level of trainees.
d) The greatest growth in Kirlandia's economy in recent years has been in those sectors where workers earn wages that tend to be much higher than the minimum wage.
e) THe current minimum wage is insufficient for a worker holding only one job to earn enough to support a family, even when working full time at that job. Inflation is caused by too many dollars chasing too few goods with the resulting rise in prices. The central premise of the argument is that there wont be too many dollars out there in the market as the number of min wage workers are less in Kirlandia so the cummulative increase wont push inflation up. With this background, lets see the choices A. Not relevant to increase money in the market. B. This is an interesting one. Since this has gone unreported, the recent rise wont touch these folks, they will continue to get considerably less anyway. C. If trainees get near minimum wage levels, so when the min wage levels go up, their wages will also go up. Hence this will have an effect of more money coming into the economy and driving up inflation....weakens D. Not relevant E. Not relevant. C
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puma wrote: In two months, the legal minimum wage in the country of Kirlandia will increase from five Kirlandic dollars (KD5.00) per hour to KD5.50 per hour. Opponents of this increase have argued that the resilting rise in wages will drive the inflation rate up. In fact its impact on wages will probably be negligible, since only a very small proportion of all Kirlandic workers are currently receiving less than KD5.50 per hour.
Which of the following, if true, most seriuosly weakens the argument?
a) Most people in Kirlandia who are currently earning the minimum wage have been employed at their current jobs for less than a year
b) SOme firms in Kirlandia have paid workers considerably less than KD5.00 per hour, in violation of kirlandic employment regulation
c) MAny businesses hire trainees at or near the minimum wage but must reward trained workers by keeping their paylevels above the pay level of trainees.
d) The greatest growth in Kirlandia's economy in recent years has been in those sectors where workers earn wages that tend to be much higher than the minimum wage.
e) THe current minimum wage is insufficient for a worker holding only one job to earn enough to support a family, even when working full time at that job. I went with E on this one because I made the assumption that some workers might be working more than one job on minimal wage. But the choice doesnt really talk about multiple minimum wage jobs.  I can see why C could be correct. The wage increases for minimum wage workers will mean other workers will need to be paid more.
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I will go with C in absense of any other choice ... but i doubt weather minimum wages law is applicable to trainees,passage does't say anything about this.
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AGREE C
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I also chose C but the OA is stated as B in this question
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Puma, whats the source of this question and whats the OE?
My reasoning is that in B, if some workers were paid illegally before the increase of min wages, they in all probability will continue to get paid the same dollars, as the the thing is illegally done in the first place....so this wont increase the number of workers with more money....the cause of inflation per this argument.
What do the experts say here?
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Sunny143 wrote: Puma, whats the source of this question and whats the OE?
My reasoning is that in B, if some workers were paid illegally before the increase of min wages, they in all probability will continue to get paid the same dollars, as the the thing is illegally done in the first place....so this wont increase the number of workers with more money....the cause of inflation per this argument.
What do the experts say here? i actually went with B..
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Evidence: Minimum wage has been increased. Very small portion r currently receiving less than KD5.50 per hr. Inflatioin will rise.
Conclusion: Change in minmum wages will be negligible.
We need to weaken the conclusion, that the change will indeed have an effect.
C.
A. Irrelevant.
B. Irrelevant, since we r not talking about illegal workers.
C. This will actually weaken the statement, b'coz 'many' business hire tranieers, and these traineers r at the minimum wages mark.
D. This actually supports the arg
E. i think it is irrelavant. Even if it is not, it would only strengthen the arg.
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fresinha12 wrote: i actually went with B.. When you post something...provide the explanation as well...
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Sunny143 wrote: fresinha12 wrote: i actually went with B.. When you post something...provide the explanation as well... you are correct, however, i didnt post any reason cause i believe that C is correct after looking at all the posters reasons..
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Chose B with POE.
(A) Most people in Kirlandia who are currently earning the minimum wage have been employed at their current jobs for less than a year Irrelavant
(B) Some firms in Kirlandia have paid workers considerably less than KD5.00 per hour, in violation of kirlandic employment regulationMay Be. Keep it for later.
(C) Many businesses hire trainees at or near the minimum wage but must reward trained workers by keeping their pay levels above the pay level of trainees.Irrelavant since the argument is not comparing different levels in labor grade as well as the argument doesn't provide any info on where the pay levels are for the "trained" resources.. And use of strong word "must". MGMAT recommendation is to avoid answers with strong words.
(D) The greatest growth in Kirlandia's economy in recent years has been in those sectors where workers earn wages that tend to be much higher than the minimum wage.Irrelavant since argument is not trying to differentiate between different sectors
(E) The current minimum wage is insufficient for a worker holding only one job to earn enough to support a family, even when working full time at that job.
Irrelevant to the argument
Best possible answer is B.
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Argument "impact of hike in minimum wages will be negligible". Question :- which statement will seriously weaken the argument. option C) Many businesses hire trainees at or near the minimum wage but must reward trained workers by keeping their pay levels above the pay level of trainees. If many business higher trainees at minimum or near min. wages , then after increase in wages , this bar (wages of trainees will increase), hence it will have an impact on the overall wages - but there is a catch , how many trainees will make the impact sizable, this is subjective information, depending on author's view of sizable impact. option B) Some firms in Kirlandia have paid workers considerably less than KD5.00 per hour, in violation of kirlandic employment regulation if some firms violate the kirlandia law and pay their workers less than minimum wages, then they will continue to do so in future also , therefore no impact on minimum wages, it actually supports the argument. IMO C , although option C is marred with its own problems, but at the end we only have to choose the best option and go to next question...
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I will go with option C
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I go with B. Can anyone post what is the right answer please ?
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Here main argument is "resulting rise in wages will drive the inflation rate up" Others are supporting premises.
rise in wages ( cause ) inflation rate up (effect)
(A) Most people in Kirlandia who are currently earning the minimum wage have been employed at their current jobs for less than a year --Still inflation can rise.
(B) Some firms in Kirlandia have paid workers considerably less than KD5.00 per hour, in violation of kirlandic employment regulation -- still inflation can rise
(C) Many businesses hire trainees at or near the minimum wage but must reward trained workers by keeping their pay levels above the pay level of trainees. --if wages is increase ..more capital inflow in the market .. so therefore, it's supporting the argument
(D) The greatest growth in Kirlandia's economy in recent years has been in those sectors where workers earn wages that tend to be much higher than the minimum wage. -- Inflation still can go up
(E) The current minimum wage is insufficient for a worker holding only one job to earn enough to support a family, even when working full time at that job. ---Author failed to consider another important factor - the livelihood worker .. so this is correct answer
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This is a difficult question. Eventually, I narrowed it down to B or C. I'm not sure I agree with OA because there is nothing in B that states companies will be compliant with the wage increase. If they continue to deflate wages then there should be no net change when the wage increase in implemented.
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If (b) is answer, then never trust questions from this source again (b) actually strengthens the argument, (b) says that some companies ignore the minimum wage law entirely. If companies ignore it, who cares what the new minimum wage? (c) is correct because it's the only choice that makes us think that a higher minimum wage affects not only minimum wage earners, but also higher paid employees. Hope this help...
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Its your duty to post OA afterwards; some one must be waiting for that...
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onedayill is right! Tip: The GMAT's favorite way to create confusion in strengthening/weakening questions is to create answers that achieve the opposite task! B does indeed strengthen the conclusion that changing the minimum wage will not have an affect.
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