Gap, Inc. has taken a stand in the debate about the effect of raising the minimum wage (See NYT, “Gap to Raise Minimum Hourly Wage”) to $9 this year, and $10 by next year (New York State’s minimum hourly wage is $8 as of December 31, 2013). Their belief is that raising the minimum wage for 60,000 of their 95,000 American-based workers is a step toward reducing turnover, and recognizes the value of front-line service staff. In his State of the Union address, President Obama spoke about raising the minimum wage across the nation, sparking discussions throughout the media about its effect on poverty rates, employment, the price of food and other goods, etc. While some members of Congress point to studies that indicate an increased minimum wage will lead to job losses (projections the White House contests), it is hard to argue with a major retailer’s willingness to push forward absent legislation (or an executive order). It will be interesting to see if other major retailers, foodservice operations, and other companies that depend on large numbers of minimum wage workers, will join Gap, Inc. and raise their minimum wage. For the millions who depend on these wages, this is a welcome shift. For policy makers, it will be an interesting case study, an invitation to watch and see whether there are accompanying reductions in jobs, rising revenues, or ???