The amount of revenue needed to address the long-term projected shortfalls in these programs is not large relative to the tax increases that were put in place in each of the decades from the fifties to the eighties. The projections showing long-term shortfalls in these programs assume very slow economic growth. Even if these projections prove accurate, and nothing is done to strengthen these programs over the next decade, there would still be plenty of time to address looming shortfalls without causing significant economic disruptions, just as was true with the shortfalls that arose in previous decades. This informative article examines the situation of children working on farms in Virginia's eastern shore. At one point the article presents the assertion of farm-owners, that they would prefer not to hire children, but that there is a shortage of adult workers.
Farm labor is among the lowest paying occupations, even for adults.
If farmers offered higher wages, then presumably more people would be willing to work on farms. The farmers claim about a labor shortage really just means that they prefer hiring children to paying higher wages. This article reports on the Labor Department's release of employment data for the month of July. Since the start of the year, wages have risen at an annual rate of 4.0 percent, up from 3.2 percent in the second half of last year. It is very difficult to make a case that wage growth is accelerating based on recent data.