Economist: If minimum wage levels are low, employers have a greater incentive to hire more workers than to buy productivity-enhancing new technology  As a result, productivity growth, which is necessary for higher average living standards, falls off  Conversely, high minimum wage levels result in higher productivity
Thus, raising our currently low minimum wage levels would improve the country' s overall economic health more than any hiring cutbacks triggered by the raise would harm it
The economist's country currently lags behind other countries in the development of new technology.