Do economists agree on mimimum wage laws? Perhaps not

Until a minute ago, I was pretty sure that a large majority of professional economists believe minimum wage laws are a bad thing.

Greg Mankiw, however, points to study by Robert Whaples:

One issue that fails to generate consensus is the minimum wage: 37.7 percent want it increased, while 46.8 percent want it eliminated.

Tyler Cowen displays some quotes from economists who favor minimum wage laws. He notes that the reasons given:

are striking, most of all for how far they stand outside traditional economic reasoning

He adds:

If you wish to understand the gap between market-oriented and more left-wing economists, this piece [by Dan Klein] is an excellent place to start.

I'm with Arnold Kling on this one.