No, minimum wage hikes aren't necessary except perhaps to bring increases in line with inflation like Social Security does. What is necessary is that jobs that require degrees and skills need to pay for those degrees and skills. A requirement of a Bs and experience in some specialized technologies should not be paying $13 an hour contract only with no benefits. There's a complete disconnect between what companies want and what they think it's worth. That's reason #1 no one is taking these jobs. I'm not going to pick up and move to Commiefornia for a 7 month contract in San Francisco that pays $18 an hour.