Ben Carson backs raising minimum wage

“I think, probably, it should be higher than now,” Carson told CNBC’s John Harwood in an interview Friday.

Carson added that government assistance often provides more than the minimum wage in several states, allowing people to ignore the long-term benefits of a job.

“I don’t necessarily blame people for saying, ‘Look, I can stay home and make this money, or I can go and work this little chicken job that doesn’t have many benefits,’ ” he said.

“However, recognize that if you go and take that chicken job, you gain skills, relationships, the possibility of moving up the ladder. So a year or two or five down the road, you’re no longer in that position. This is what people have forgotten.”