Cramped behind the counter, junior Ben Harkey scoops cup after cup of ice cream, handing each to his coworkers at the register.

As of Oct. 19, Harkey has received a raise from $8.25 an hour to $9 an hour. Although he now makes $9 an hour, he can expect his hourly pay to increase even more.

According to Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, the minimum wage in Cook County is scheduled to increase from $8.25 to $10 on July 1, 2017, and subsequently increase $1 per year until it reaches $13 on July 1, 2020.

The decision to raise the wage throughout all of Cook County in areas such as Northbrook, Evanston and Skokie was prompted by the fact that the city of Chicago already has a minimum wage of $10.50. Chicago’s minimum wage will increase to $11 on July 1, 2017, and subsequently increase $1 per year until it reaches $13 on July 1, 2019.

“It just seemed very unfair that people working on one side [of Cook County] were making $10.50 an hour and [people] on the other side were making $8.25, so that’s why I encouraged the change,” Suffredin said.

Junior Madeline Chemers, who works for KidCare at Westmoor Elementary School, said she now considers her potential salary when applying for a job.

“When I was looking for a job, I just wanted to get [one] as fast and as easily as I could,” said Chemers. “Once I had a job, I realized I actually wanted a [better] wage because working is a lot of effort and takes a lot of time.”

Suffredin said the change will mainly bring about positive attitudes and lead to increased growth in the economy.

“By raising the minimum wage, what we’re going to do is create more equity, … especially for [high school students] who are having their first jobs,” said Suffredin. “[They will] find that the difference between working for $8.25 and working for $13 an hour is going to be motivational to do better. I think that the $8.25 [wage] is so small, especially for first-time job seekers. It works as a detriment.”

According to Frank Shuftan, director of communications for the Cook County Board President, this change was made to provide minimum wage workers with a “living-wage.”

“A fair wage for working people is a basic principle of fairness,” said Shuftan. “We were pleased to support this measure.”

Harkey said the decision to increase the minimum wage will aid him in the future.

“Personally, the money I make goes to college savings, so I don’t usually see it directly, but I’ll really appreciate it in a year,” Harkey said.

Suffredin said he believes small businesses in Cook County will also benefit from the change.

“The added increase in [employee] morale [due to higher wages] should benefit the small business,” said Suffredin. “Plus, the fact that this increase will go right back into the economy through employee spending … will benefit the small business owner.”

According to Cook County Commissioner Peter N. Silvestri, the decision to increase the minimum wage will have a negative impact on small businesses who “cannot afford increases in operational costs.”

“Some businesses may relocate to other counties nearby, like DuPage and Lake Counties,” said Silvestri. “New businesses may decide to open in neighboring counties instead of Cook [County].”

Silvestri said he believes job opportunities will be diminished in Cook County because business owners will have less funds to pay increased salaries and believes the decision to increase minimum wage should have been implemented on a larger scale.

“The minimum wage should be increased on a state or national level, not [on a] city or county level, as it will benefit workers and not hurt businesses if done on bigger levels,” Silvestri said.

Suffredin said some businesses may object to or be fearful of the wage increase, but he believes their fears are irrational.

“It is an economic myth that an increase in minimum wage costs jobs,” said Suffredin. “There is no evidence that the increase causes job loss. Any business that can’t tolerate an increase is on the verge of closing regardless of the wage rate.”

Jeremy Kloepfer, owner of Kloepfer Construction in Cook County, said he supports the decision to increase the minimum wage because expenses such as the cost of living have risen, and people are entitled to make more money with increasing expenses.

“I believe that everybody deserves a fair salary,” said Kloepfer. “ … I’m all for people making an honest dollar rather than getting free money from the government. If somebody goes out and gets a job, more power to them.”As the increase in minimum wage gradually takes hold in Cook County, Suffredin said neighboring counties such as Lake County could bring more workers to Cook County because the Lake County minimum wage is currently staying at $8.25 an hour.

Despite the fact that more workers could potentially apply for Cook County jobs, Harkey said he is not worried that his job will be taken because Graeter’s does a fantastic job in ensuring that all employees have a scheduled shift.

Suffredin said the increase in minimum wage will serve as a stimulus for the Cook County economy and “should be viewed as a right” due to the jobs people will now take.

“We’re still not at a point where we’re giving people a living-savings wage,” said Suffredin. “ … So, every dollar that we are putting out there goes right back into the economy.”