Question

In two months, the legal minimum wage in the country of Kirlandia will increase from five Kirlandic dollars (KD5.00) per hour to KD5.50 per hour. Opponents of this increase have argued that the resulting rise in wages will drive the inflation rate up. In fact its impact on wages will probably be negligible, since only a very small proportion of all Kirlandic workers are currently receiving less than KD5.50 per hour.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

(A) Most people in Kirlandia who are currently earning the minimum wage have been employed at their current jobs for less than a year
(B) Some firms in Kirlandia have paid workers considerably less than KD5.00 per hour, in violation of kirlandic employment regulation
(C) Many businesses hire trainees at or near the minimum wage but must reward trained workers by keeping their pay levels above the pay level of trainees.
(D) The greatest growth in Kirlandia's economy in recent years has been in those sectors where workers earn wages that tend to be much higher than the minimum wage.
(E) The current minimum wage is insufficient for a worker holding only one job to earn enough to support a family, even when working full time at that job.

Answer 1

(C) Many businesses hire trainees at or near the minimum wage but must reward trained workers by keeping their pay levels above the pay level of trainees.

Step-by-step explanation:

From the context, it is given that only a small portion of the population who are workers will directly affect by the raise. But the raise can indirectly affect the other proportion of the population as well. Most of then people who are working as trainees are getting the minimum wages as compared to the trained workers.

As a result of the rise, the wages of the trainees might be equal to that of the TRAINED workers. But now many companies have to increase the wages of the trained people in order to make sure that the trained people get more wages than the trainees.

And if it is right or true, then the rise will affect not only a small proportion of workers but also the trained workers whose wages must be above the trainees.

Thus, option (C) weakens the argument.