More than 4.6 million people live in poverty in the United States. A question often raised when talking about the minimum wage is: would increasing it lower this figure? The consensus is that yes, it would. If the federal minimum wage were raised, many people's incomes would increase, not just those of low-wage workers. As employers increased their salary scales, many incomes would increase. According to Jared Bernstein, the former chief economist of the Obama administration, that's not as relevant as its impact on low-wage workers. He explains that while many more people would benefit from a minimum wage increase, most of the help would go to those who need it. He also notes: “We must be careful not to stick to poverty lines that are inadequate measures of who needs help. » If the minimum wage were raised to $10.10 an hour, 2 million people would be lifted out of poverty (US Department of the Environment).