Minimum Wage News
Reports on wage policy, business impact, and labor market debates. The Daily Signal includes conservative commentary and opinion on minimum wage issues.
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- Opinion
The Minimum Wage Killed 1 out of 11 Jobs on This Tropical Island
Congress is considering potential responses to Puerto Rico’s depression and fiscal crisis. Fiscal conservatives are considering whether outside oversight by a “control board” would force feckless local legislators to make difficult choices, such as consolidating rural schools and laying off bureaucrats. However, if Congress gives the board authority only to cut government spending and raise…Salim Furth -
- News
Meet Business Owners Fighting San Diego’s Proposed Minimum Wage Hike
Following in the footsteps of cities in northern California, San Diego is weighing an increase to its minimum wage that small business owners warn could serve as a “job killer” for them. The city is gearing up to vote on a proposal to raise its minimum wage to $10.50 an hour—50 cents higher than the…Melissa Quinn -
- News
Oakland’s Minimum Wage Is Up, Wal-Mart Is Out
A minimum wage of $12.55 an hour in Oakland, Calif., may be the culprit for a Wal-Mart store’s closure. Wal-Mart announced Jan. 15 it will close 269 stores globally, including 154 locations in the United States—affecting about 10,000 associates across the nation. “The minimum wage in the city of Oakland played a factor, was one of the…Leah Jessen -
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Data Show These 6 Big Cities Aren’t Faring Well After Minimum Wage Hikes
Data shows a downhill economic trend for six big U.S. cities that hiked the minimum wage to $10 or more an hour in 2015. “Chicago, Oakland, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.—all on the leading edge of the push for big minimum wage hikes—all show worrisome job trends,” wrote Jed Graham of Investor’s…Leah Jessen -
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Sacramento’s Minimum Wage Hike Drives Costs Up for Small Businesses
The city of Sacramento recently approved a gradual increase in minimum wage to $12.50 by 2020, and with that a raise in the cost of operating small businesses. While the California Legislature passed a proposed minimum wage of $10 to take effect Jan. 1, Sacramento’s increase to 12.50 over the next four years will put…Joshua Gill -
- News
Seattle Voted to Hike the Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour. Here’s What Happened to Seattle’s Job Market.
The $15 minimum wage increase in the Seattle area “is getting off to a pretty bad start,” according to a new report. Data shows that the Seattle Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) lost 700 restaurant jobs from January to September of this year, and a report from the American Enterprise Institute suggests that this could be the product…Leah Jessen -
- Opinion
A Higher Minimum Wage Would Eliminate Opportunity for Success
Watching the news these days, it may seem as though a minimum-wage job is the equivalent of a life sentence of poverty. But nothing could be farther from the truth. A minimum-wage job is not an end, but a beginning of what could be a very successful career. For more than a year, union-backed protesters have…Nick Novak -
- Opinion
How a Higher Minimum Wage Could Lead to Automated Restaurants
Want to know what the future of the restaurant industry looks like? It could come in the form of a San Francisco fast food restaurant named Eatsa. Eatsa is a quinoa (a South American grain dish) eatery that is preparing to automate most of its workforce. The Ferenstein Wire got a sneak peak at the restaurant,…Greg Ferenstein -
- Opinion
What’s Wrong With New Study Claiming Huge Minimum Wage Hike Would Barely Raise Fast Food Prices
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Unfortunately, many journalists did not remember that when covering a new report claiming that $15-an-hour wages would raise fast food prices only 4 percent. A closer look shows that the study underlying the report had major methodological errors. More serious analysis shows that $15-an-hour…James Sherk -
- Opinion
Unions Demand Special Treatment After Minimum Wage Hike They Backed Goes Into Effect
The Los Angeles city council will vote this week on exempting collectively bargained wages from its new $15 an hour minimum wage law. That’s correct – if unions get their way, only unionized employers will be able pay their employees less than $15 an hour. Over the past year, “Fight for 15” has swept the…James Sherk -
- Opinion
What Paul Krugman Gets Wrong When He Claims Minimum Wage Hikes Don’t Cost Jobs
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman wrote today about the relationship between minimum wage hikes and jobs. “There’s just no evidence that raising the minimum wage costs jobs, at least when the starting point is as low as it is in modern America,” he wrote. [View the story “Why Paul Krugman Reads too Much…James Sherk -
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Thanks to Minimum Wage Hike, San Francisco Chipotle Customers Paying $1 More for Burrito Bowls
Following a 14 percent minimum wage increase in San Francisco, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. had to raise its prices proportionately, according to a report from William Blair, a global investment banking and management firm. William Blair claimed that the price hike was likely a direct result of the increased minimum wage. Chris Arnold, a Chipotle…Chelsea Scism -
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Bernie Sanders Talks ‘Real Issues’ With Iowans: Campaign Finance and Minimum Wage
FORT DODGE, Iowa—Bernie Sanders, the second-term independent senator from Vermont, spoke on “real issues” at Iowa Central Community College today, promising that his policies would “strengthen families” if he were elected president. Sanders, who is running as a Democrat in 2016, stated a top priority of his is combating the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling—allowing…Leah Jessen -
- Opinion
How Liberals Manipulate Data About the Minimum Wage
Does the U.S.-Canadian speed gap bother you? Americans can drive no faster than 65 on Massachusetts highways. Meanwhile Canadian motorists zip along at speeds of up to 100. Congress should close this inequitable speed gap! This argument sounds ridiculous, because it is. Canadians measure speed in kilometers per hour, not miles per hour. Moreover, many…James Sherk -
- Opinion
Unions Are Utterly Shameless. Here’s the Real Story Behind Their Minimum Wage Campaign.
Utterly shameless. There really is no other way to describe what some unions are trying to pull when it comes to the minimum wage. The issue, of course, has been in the news quite a bit lately, especially in Los Angeles, with supposedly incensed workers waving their “Fight for 15” placards. It’s all perfectly packaged for the media,…Ed Feulner -
- Opinion
Who’s Hurt Most by Los Angeles’ $15 Minimum Wage
The Los Angeles City Council voted to raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020, a move that will help some workers at the expense of others and lead to higher prices for consumers as businesses pass along the new expense. Occupational Employment Statistics estimates that there are 837,000 people in Los…Salim Furth -
- Opinion
Los Angeles Unions: Minimum Wage Hike for Thee, but Not for Me
Los Angeles recently hiked its minimum wage to $15 an hour. Los Angeles unions strongly support this move, with a catch. They want the increase to apply only to non-union companies. The Los Angeles Times reports local unions are now lobbying the city council to exempt unionized firms from the higher rate. If they get…James Sherk -
- Opinion
What French McDonald’s Restaurants Tell Us About the Pros and Cons of a Minimum Wage Hike
President Obama said in a YouTube interview last month that he wanted to focus, during his last two years as president on helping people get ahead. “In particular, how can I make sure that folks who are working hard…cannot just survive, but how can they thrive? How can they get ahead?” Obama said. Many think…Jack Wilson -
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This Bookstore Is Closing Because of San Francisco’s Upcoming Minimum Wage Hike
After 18 years in business, San Francisco bookstore Borderlands Books announced it will close in March, despite having its “best year” in 2014. Why? According to the bookstore, it’s because of San Francisco’s upcoming minimum wage hike. We’re tremendously sorry to announce that Borderlands Books will be closing in March. More info: http://t.co/hKZA1tTbsb — Borderlands Books (@borderlands_sf)…Kate Scanlon -
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New Year, New Minimum Wage Fights In These 6 Cities
A minimum-wage hike could be coming soon to a city near you. Impatient with the federal government and inspired by the examples of Seattle, San Francisco and Oakland, several cities across America plan to raise the minimum wage on their own. Nineteen states began 2015 with a higher minimum wage and several more will see…Philip Wegmann