What business does the state have in setting wages. Wages are an agreement between the worker and the entrepreneur. Minimum wage laws are not floors for supporting people, they are hurdles that the new worker must jump over before being hired. They impede the employment of anyone willing to work but without skills. It hurts those workers more than it helps them by keeping therm out of the labor market. No business will hire some one for $15/hour if they cannot earn more than that in customer business, it is easy as that. No floor would make everyone employable at some price.