Why was the blow of the october 1996 change softer on some employers than it?

In an article titled 'New Minimum Wage makes Few Waves' in Wall Street Journal dated 20 November 1996 by Christiana Duff writes that The blow was softer than it might have been on many employers because they already pay more than the new $4.75-an-hour rate since the labor market is so tight.

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explanation:

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