Former Vice President Joe Biden says he would push for a USD 15-per-hour minimum wage and rejects the idea that it would hurt small businesses.
Biden said at Thursday's debate: There is no evidence that when you raise the minimum wage, businesses go out of business.
President Donald Trump argued that the minimum wage should be left as an issue for the states to determine.
He says, How are you helping your small businesses when you're forcing wages? What's going to happen, and what's been proven to happen, is when you do that, these small businesses fire many of their employees.
The two candidates were asked about where they stand on raising the federal minimum wage as part of their final debate Thursday night.
The minimum wage is now USD 7.25 an hour.
Proponents of increasing it say the minimum wage has not kept up with inflation, making it harder for workers to make ends meet.