Wage Learners

California learns about the cost of minimum wage increases the hard way:

California restaurant staffers are not the first to witness the negative impact of a higher minimum wage. In a popular PragerU video entitled “Minimum Wage Cost Me My Job,” presenter Simone Barron recounts how she quickly regretted supporting a higher minimum wage. Barron considered herself a “fair-minded progressive” who cheered on the Seattle City Council when they raised the minimum wage from $9.47 to $15 an hour back in 2015. As a consequence, the restaurant where she worked closed for good. Barron was quickly able to score an interview at another restaurant, but then that restaurant closed before she could even take the interview. Years ago, New York City’s higher minimum wage pushed the industry into a recession as 75 percent of owners reduced employee hours and 47 percent eliminated jobs. Years later, Sacramento, unfortunately, did not learn from New York’s mistakes. While many “fair-minded progressives” like Simone Barron may think a higher minimum wage is an overall good for workers and society, the reality is starkly different. Its detrimental effects often outweigh any potential benefit.

$20 an hour really doesn't get you anything in the long run...