Final answer:
The student's question does not give a direct statistic for the percentage of workers earning minimum wage or less in 2015 but delves into the economic and social considerations of a wage increase for minimum wage workers and the associated job losses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question at hand does not directly provide the percentage of all workers who earned the minimum wage or less in 2015.
However, the information given to us presents a related scenario that discusses the impact of a wage increase for minimum wage workers and the potential job losses that may accompany such an increase.
It highlights the complexity of evaluating the overall effect on society when 98% of minimum wage workers receive a pay increase of 10%, while 2% lose their jobs. The analysis requires considering the broader social implications and the specific circumstances of the individuals affected.
The discussion is an economic and ethical one, bringing to light the question of how society values income gains versus job security, especially for vulnerable groups.
Assessing whether the gains are greater than the losses cannot be done simply through calculations, but through a more nuanced understanding of economic policies and social welfare.