SAT OwlQuestion bank / Command of Evidence
Some economists have argued that a city's minimum wage increase caused a decline in restaurant employment. They point to data showing that the number of restaurant jobs in the city fell in the year after the increase took effect. Economist Lars Vinter questions this conclusion, arguing that the data do not show that the wage increase was responsible for the decline.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support Vinter's position?
Restaurant employment fell by a similar amount that year in nearby cities that did not raise their minimum wages.
Restaurant owners in the city reported in surveys that labor was their largest expense.
The number of restaurants in the city had grown steadily in the decade before the increase.
Some restaurants in the city raised menu prices after the minimum wage increase.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
Vinter doubts that the wage increase caused the job loss. If nearby cities without a wage increase lost restaurant jobs at the same rate, something other than the wage increase likely caused the decline. Choice A provides that comparison.
Choice B suggests wage changes would matter a great deal to owners, which tends to support the economists rather than Vinter.
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