How Seattle businesses are responding to minimum wage hikes

Seattle is among the country's highest wage cities. CNBC's Kate Rogers reports from Seattle, Wash. on the unintended consequences of the wage hike.
When Seattle began raising its minimum wage five years ago, local burger joint Dick’s Drive-In experienced an unintended effect.
Its employees opted to work fewer hours as their wages rose, a tall order in a tight labor market.
“We thought with higher wages it would be easier to get people to take more hours, but it’s been the opposite,” said Jasmine Donovan, president of Dick’s. She added that the company has had to raise prices for the first time in its history because of the cost of labor alone, whereas in the past, food costs drove such hikes.
Seattle’s law, which gradually increases its minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021 from just over $9 an hour in 2014, is now at the forefront of a national debate over the impacts of progressive wage increases. It comes at a time when top Democratic presidential candidates like Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden are calling for a $15 per hour federal minimum wage as they try to appeal to working-class voters. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour and has not been increased in over a decade.
“Seattle was catalytic to the entire national movement because what the Seattle City Council did by passing the law was show the entire nation that $15 was not a ridiculous demand that people were laughing at back in 2012, but an actual key piece of policy that allowed for working people all across that city to have more money in their pockets that they spent in their local neighborhoods and then grew the economy and local business as a result,” said Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, which launched the Fight for $15 and a Union campaign.
Businesses like Dick’s have seen their costs go up. Dick’s pays above minimum wage, with some locations starting workers at $17 and $18 an hour, and most workers are students in their 20s. Benefits like 401(k) plans and health insurance are also available to workers regardless of the number of hours worked. But higher minimum wages citywide pressure employers to increase pay even if they are already above that threshold, in order to compete for talent.
Meanwhile, the Seattle law has been life changing for workers like Martin Johnson, who lobbied for higher pay with the advocacy group Working Washington. He works three minimum wage jobs - as a temporary cook on game days at the city’s stadiums, as a janitor at Costco on the overnight shift and as a handyman in his own small business. The raise brought with it more dignity for workers and boosted morale, he said.
“Instead of being paid $9 an hour, you’re getting $15 an hour to do the same work. You feel better about yourself - you feel appreciated,” Johnson, 54, said.
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[@Bb-jm2xl]

The moment Costco hot dogs go up in price is the moment the world ends

[@Steve-hi1db]

kk 5579 they actually lose money on PURPOSE, it a ploy to get customers in the store, that’s why the Rotisserie chicken is very cheap

[@moonlightwing9229]

The hookers raise her prices i'm going to lose it! Cheapest dinner you can buy is a Costco dog

[@cbx500cbx]

I will be an investor if the purchase of membership will bring down the cost of hotdogs. And makes it worthwhile.

[@XxDiamond44xX]

Their business model is membership

[@jamalanewpizza6334]

kk 5579 Keep your s,.h.,I,.tpostong on reddit.

[@dequezcolvin771]

What i heard was the employees are getting paid more but they can't afford to live in the city.

[@wmor2449]

True

[@quentindaniels7460]

Dequez Colvin - That is true as well

[@joshmerrel8846]

THANK YOU! The land owners STOP BEING Greedy

[@bentwookie348]

It's almost like raising the minimum wage is causing a rise in inflation.

[@Bathygnostic]

@@LeeroyFan101 FUCK! That's twice as much as the mortgage of a four bedroom house here, and half the taxes for an entire year. So glad I left the West Coast over 15 years ago!

[@tomfoolery2964]

When minimum wage increases, so does the cost of everything else.

[@ease19811]

Cost of living has gone up but wages stagger...

[@tommyboy1986]

the cost of eveything is going up way faster than minimum wage anyway

[@CaBdosdos]

Capitalism in it's late stages.

[@dirtygrizzly4219]

Amen somebody who understands the f****** game that this world is playing with one another I used to work for a company that claimed that they could not pay us anymore an hour but they own their own private jet and they own multiple race teams horse racing teams I'm sorry but if you own the company and came up with it yeah you deserve money but if you can afford f****** all that s*** you should be able to pay your employees instead of blowing it on Ferraris and Lamborghinis and houses in every state

[@jakemf1]

Tom Foolery no the cost was already up- wages just piled more on the shoulders of business

[@simonsays3063]

When the cost of living increases and wages remain stagnant. You have homeless.

[@GoTimeGross]

@Ben Grimm no normal people get roommates as adults, work 2 jobs... live with family. Drug problems go hand in hand with homelessness as an epidemic. We could all end up on the streets for some time, a night, a couple weeks or even a month or so... after that.... it's the dope sprinkled on mental illness... and more dope

[@ejuniorc09pkm]

It's a tough thing but obviously there are SO MANY factors that cause homelessness. I think the main cause is not having connections - not having family or friends to hold you up in a financially difficult time - and of course not finding a job that pays well or not working enough hours. There are also other factors like poor life choices that can impact work performance, or life event such as injuries, etc. And then there are people who choose to do drugs to cope with the stress of life issues and go downhill, but in reality there are so many factors - as you know.

[@iamcosma7065]

Wages have not been stagnant, and homelessness has been going DOWN every year since the 90s...

[@bvegannow1936]

When wages increase, cost of living increases, thus makes it harder for homeless and poor people. part of the solution is get rid of minimim wage. Minimum wage hurts the poor the most.

[@manoftruth0935]

Ben Grimm millions of issues? Name half of them.

[@joebie7315]

It's the cost of the rent that are killing these cities.

[@Tony-yn5rr]

Those people at dicks making 18 an hour make more than me with a biochem degree at 14 in a lab no benfitis or 401k match. Entitled people complaining when they make more than college graduates

[@turtsable]

100% you can’t have a freaking single bed room half bath and a microwave cost $2000.........

[@PosiP]

No, it's the Democrats and the social programs they want to pay for. I just hope this burns out before it infects the rest of the country.

[@chrism7275]

Rip_Fallout proves how useful your college degree dosnt it. You can thank the government for subsidizing student loans causing every one to go to college and inflate the value of the degrees and allowing for schools to bid prices up to these insane levels. You’re better off not going to college nowa days unless you’re going to be a lawyer or a doctor.

[@joebie7315]

@@chrism7275 there's a huge problem with even getting those two degrees. The market is absolutely saturated with them.

[@Dbpres6874]

If someone charged me 25 dollars for a salad I would laugh and then leave

[@mcnasty4691]

We sait in a pollo salad ect for 12$

[@namenotfound8747]

Well we know this guy doesn't get laid

[@thekidbart4528]

Drew lmfaoooo word

[@amapparatistkwabena]

Well, don’t visit Switzerland.

[@jonathancisneros7150]

Drew in Hawaii they will sell you 25 dollar salad

[@mehrshadvr4]

Seattle rent has been going up since Amazon took over the city. When rent is high, everything else is expensive too.

[@TheFilthymitch]

Amazon, Microsoft, Costco, and Starbucks as well.

[@r3n736]

Well Microsoft was there for over 2 decades.

[@TheFilthymitch]

@@r3n736 True, and to be fair Amazon was definitely the worst offender. However, they're all guilty of buying up the real estate in that city.

[@r3n736]

​@@TheFilthymitch I don't think Amazon made a huge impact for buying real estate, to be the main curprit. Not saying there was no impact but one of the reasons why rent inflated because of the demand. Seatle currently has probably the Best Ratio of Living Expenses - Salary. The living expenses in Seatle is low compared with California or New York while Salary is quite high. You can make more money as a software developer in Seatle than California or New York. So more people with extra money more demand, more people willing to pay more.

[@r3n736]

​@@TheFilthymitch To explain it with numbers a Software Engineer in California makes on average $136,000 a year -Rent($43,474) - Living expenses($43,800) = $48,725 In New York City $117,000 - Rent($39,195) - Living Expenses($34,800) = $43,005 While in Seatle $126,913 - Rent $31,577 - Living Expenses $21,000 = $74,336 Living in Seatle you will make 75%+ more a Year... Than living in New York. This attracts a lot of People, especially people with money willing to pay more than locals to get access to these Salaries, then again! Amazon probably one of the main reasons why salary got elevated perhaps?

[@lbaker3602001]

With all this prosperity, why is there still a 'Homeless' problem?

[@MaggotDiggo1]

Good question. Maybe homeless people hear that Seattle is rich so they move there. It could also be that poorer people are being priced out of the market by increased rent.

[@Alaninbroomfield]

Because they closed the state mental institutions 50 years ago. All those people that would otherwise be looked after are now on the street and deteriorating every day. Most of them are beyond help now.

[@ericanderson3534]

Because peoples productivity is stagnant, but our economic model requires increased productivity to increase our standard of living. Simultaneously our Governments are printing money and its goes to the corporations and wealthy investors some of whom don't increase productivity either. Borrowed money is spent raising asset prices on home and other things and Hence the homeless problem gets worse. Meanwhile the borrow3ed money doesn't produce an in crease of productivity or is wholly wasted making the situation worse.

[@victoraguirre92]

Drugs

[@Davitofrito]

A lot of people who are homeless have mental illness that is going untreated. Many more though are drug addicts that need a choice of rehab or jail. Cities all over the US often choose to ignore the homeless and don't offer programs or special facilities like they had in the 1980s for example in regards to mental wards/asylum s. Mixed in with those two groups are run aways facing problems at home and people living out of cars because a series of bad events hit one after another. It's not a one size fits all solution and it's not about how many dollars are thrown at the problem either. Many people and politicians simply look the other way or increase spending without actually tackling the causes.

[@latinsantos2359]

So working less hours on a higher wage is like getting paid minimum wages 🤔

[@conduit242]

More time to smoke weed

[@MrSmithgobucs]

Facts

[@DUDEiTHINKIMNUDE]

Rob Bird just smoke weed at work lol

[@onrr1726]

Many are collecting public assistance as well they got the pain increases but now want fewer hours so they stay under the bracket so they can continue to leach off the system.

[@t.b.a.r.r.o.]

People feel better getting paid more to do less... Who would have thought that a living wage meant working part time at a low skill occupation.

[@smartass199614]

They are responding by firing people, cutting hours, and raising prices. People aren’t ‘voluntarily’ giving up hours. Anyone who tells you different is lying.

[@kanteannightmare]

Even so, if they're aren't hours to be had it's a moot point.

[@andrewfox96]

More like volun-told really

[@MERLOW.]

False. studies show that increases in the minimum wage do not correlate with less jobs or less hours. Businesses need labor and cannot function without it.

[@johnboylong40]

MerLow right wing? Lol Left out a few details didn’t you? There are countless studies pointing out a host of issues with minimum wage hikes including expansion and job growth. Job opportunity for young people and so on. Convenient to label it right wing, paste in 3 studies and fist pump academia, but sorry, that’s just lazy.

[@MERLOW.]

johnboylong40 I’m lazy for citing studies when you’re noting studies you haven’t provided? I told you all that I can provide more. I am not aware of these studies you’re taking about. With regard to calling trickle down, free market, let businesses pay individuals as they please is certainly right wing. The left most candidates that the US has seen in the past 50 years are center left at best. I’m this is undoubtedly right wing politics and anyone who says otherwise had no grip on spacial theory.

[@tschaderdstrom2145]

So the employees weren't making a living wage, and now that their wages went up, they aren't making a living wage. If only someone could've seen this coming...

[@compound32]

They did.

[@wordsunheard2383]

Ya “they” did see it coming. Crash the economy in 06, causing massive lay offs, then buy up all the apartments and homes. Repaint the junk building and triple the rent. This left many without options and now you see their piss and poo on the streets, that person was a hardworker before the scam was implemented. But now there are no homes to move int9 cause of the evil greedy landlords only after money, and ruining communities.

[@TRUMP-2024-STF]

They see this as a great option in the beginning. Until implodes on them when no one can afford their higher rent. And then you got people living on the street because there’s no place to live. You can’t give a low level job high pay. Just doesn’t work these jobs are designed to sustain one’s livability. It’s a starting point and then you go up from there. They try to make these jobs a livable sustainable job. 20 bucks an hour is Jack Ola. You deserve the government that you morons elect. Do you want a socialist moron who uses and Tifa to implement their behavior bowl policies. That’s what you get yes you got more money. But what happens when people get more money everyone else around them raise their prices. Which in fact you made not more money but the same money. And you dumbasses who voted these idiotic leaders in deserve the retarded homelessness problem that you have. I hope the whole city goes to crap I watch every day San Francisco is homeless problem and Los Angeles and I laugh. And I laugh even more when they elect even more left-wing idiotic nuts. I love it

[@barryfields2964]

No matter what you make minimum wage, the people making it will still be the lowest paid people in America. And the will still be broke!

[@evanw2195]

The problem I have is we this similar type of thing, where people want something like free college or free healthcare but don’t realize how horrible things will be after it’s implemented, the issue is the fact that it becomes almost irreversible so you have these extremely damaging new laws and policy’s that will never be fixed to normal again

[@c00k13puss]

lol.. who knew that raising minimum wages also raises the cost of living...

[@mathieuperreault310]

Okay. So exactly what does minimum wage have to do with rent increases ? So what about food prices? Anyone farming shouldn't make minimum. Or building houses. North America explain

[@bentmercer]

Cost of living has gone up dramatically for decades, wages have not.

[@punker4Real]

look at California the real estate market is about to pop soon it's on a down turn I see a bunch of houses that have been for sale for months

[@thegino1807]

Mathieu Perreault when minimum wage increases, the average worker has more expendable cash. There is a constant economic battle between the highest price a renter will pay and the lowest price a landlord will rent for. So when people can afford more for rent, the market will match that by increasing average rent costs. As for food, when the minimum wage increases, businesses must spend more money on the wages of their workers. However, in order to maintain a good profit margin, the businesses will increase the price of their product, putting the burden on the consumer. For house building, it’s a little different. There are still prices of materials raising due to wage increases, but houses are particularly expensive due to permits, taxes, and state regulations.

[@nobot87]

@@thegino1807 so if its poor people having a little bit of spending money that causes rent prices to soar then society just doomed.

[@edr.2642]

16K a month for the rent? Wow just sell on a food truck instead.

[@dr1flush]

And stupid media blames it on having to pay 3 $ more an hour to the 6 employees

[@yung_cheezy]

@@dr1flush That rent is nuts, but I can see how another $2k per month for increased wages will hurt them. Most restaurants run on very slim profit margins. Eventually it's not worth it to keep operating.

[@josequezada519]

I agree that's insane 16k. They're not selling cars or electronics its food do you really expect to profit with that type of rent plus I think you can buy a house renovate it to make it into restaurant, get a mortgage and still pay a fraction of this a month. Sorry but that's ridiculous.

[@Danielbboylight]

Its because of needless regulation and government interference that makes the cost of building and renting it out to small business. When will people wake up to the fact government only makes things worse not better

[@Fire-in-the-sky]

@@Danielbboylight lmao if you want lax regulations, go look at china and their literal use of sewage oil for cooking. People like you are so stupid, so if or buts, just pure stupidity.

[@reinventingada]

All the reasons why I closed my restaurant 2 years ago. It’s you against the world in the restaurant industry. Not sustainable.

[@macgyveratlarge2133]

Don't feel bad. Where I'm at, if a criminal disrupts your business by embezzlement, the police won't even bother to write a report, much less go after the perp.

[@KA-rp5uh]

Ada Yarungsee Low barrier to entry in restaurant bizz making it hyper competitive industry.

[@4lugan]

Thank you for Sharing your Personal experience. That must have been difficult. But it seems you are Brave. So I Wish you The best of success

[@ssoma151]

you cant even find a new mom and pop any more

[@jenningsmills5398]

Come to southern California You get to cook & sell food out of a stolen shopping cart retrofitted with a propane tank. No permits. no health inspections. nada.

[@kyleryneost]

So moral of the story raising wages doesn’t always equate to success for the business or the workers..

[@chriss4365]

It never does

[@pognarchy]

No.... the moral of the story is that the cost of living in a city like seattle was inevitably going to get so high none of these people could pay for it anyways. With or without the min wage hike, everything was going to get so expensive that this outcome would’ve happened sooner or later. The problem is not the min wage, it’s how expensive it is to live there at all

[@trevoncowen9198]

It’s almost like you can’t just force someone to pay more for no reason without consequences

[@nmarrs8539]

Tre'von Cowen there’s a reason it’s called “inflation.”

[@kiedranFan2035]

Same goes for customers, they should refuse to pay or buy anything if the prices don't get out back the way they were before the wage corrections. If that doesent produce an ethical business then we'll just have to ban the practice of offloading costs to customers. Company owners get way too much anyway, so they are just showing they are in it for themselves and not the community which is concerning.

[@patrickweaver1105]

@@kiedranFan2035 Beyond stupidity. If a business owner isn't making enough money to be worth their time they close. You can't make people work efficiently against their will. This is why command economies always fail.

[@EvilDickism]

@Forever Outraged what?

[@iamcosma7065]

MobiusPrime 2035 the problem is that too many people are financially illiterate these days. People spend thousands of dollars on iPhones and shoes. They will spend 30$ on a McDonald’s meal and not even question it.

[@billmoyer3254]

for 25 dollars, they should toss my salad

[@dutchmaster1999]

Bruce Maddox best comment

[@deadmansgulf911]

HAHAHA 😂

[@danhealy7675]

Awesome! The A.I. censor algorithm thinks you're still talking food!

[@kylehartman9403]

For 25 dollars you should also return the favor

[@andrewfreeman88]

@@kylehartman9403 sounds like a bottom of the barrel SF back alley deal 😂

[@KingPhoey]

This is all due to housing costs not labor costs. This is how speculative investment destroys a city. Welcome to the next San Francisco. When you copy their policies you get their results.

[@xyience1337]

Human Action > Human Design

[@iliketoflystuff9354]

GoldenState false. The US has a centrally planned economy, no longer capitalist free market. The fed and the federal government are forcing speculation through their actions.

[@xyience1337]

Ya'll should read some books by F.A Hayek, Lysander Spooner, Ludwig von Mises, Larkin Rose, Frederic Bastiat, Herbert Spencer, Murray Rothbard, Sam Konkin, and yes there's many more. “There are two methods, or means, and only two, whereby man's needs and desires can be satisfied. One is the production and exchange of wealth; this is the economic means. The other is the uncompensated appropriation of wealth produced by others; this is the political means.”

[@xyience1337]

Round 1kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmHRdoWKe9Rgic0 Round 2 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYW0n5Sor9KHhcU

[@MrRobloMan]

THANK YOU. This is the most out of touch reporting I’ve ever seen. She doesn’t even mention that lease prices for restaurants and housing prices are rising like crazy. The restaurant owner even said thats the reason he shut it down. He didn’t really mention it being because of the wages that he made that decision. Labour costs play very little role compared to rising lease costs.

[@Dev-zr8si]

"The art of economics consists in looking not merely at the immediate hut at the longer effects of any act or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups." -Henry Hazlitt. Minimum wage as an idea fails terribly on doing both.

[@billp3914]

Did I hear him right did he just say $16,000 a month rent

[@paulbroderick8438]

They are not 'volunteering' to work fewer hours, they are told to!

[@er33990]

Yeah, it’s funny how they found someone to spin that for them. That woman will be out of business soon enough.

[@insectnipz]

Small business owners cant afford to keep the same amount of people working the same hours. They have to cut something. Either they get rid of people or everyone takes a hit and loses some hours.

[@johnoeltjen4027]

and some of them are at that threshold of making more money and loosing the daycare assistance, rental assistance and other things that the government takes away at a certain wage level but in the end they come home with less. it's designed to keep people in need , but really, what part of this didn't they see coming ?????

[@Cyrribrae]

Not at that place. They pay full benefits for anyone, regardless of how much they work. That means they want fewer people working longer, not the other way around. For other places, though, yes.

[@andrewgomes2452]

Yes they are; even part time employees get full benefits at that burger joint. Pay attention.

[@yourmomsspermdoner]

Politicians also cry about hurting small businesses with a wedge hike, yet the same politician’s just stood around while Amazon and Walmart crushed small businesses 😆

[@geekedmaxx]

They didn't crush small businesses, besides small businesses and well as bigger business both create jobs , Amazon and Walmart both started off as a small business, the whole goal of having a small business is to start small have employees then eventually get big like Walmart and Amazon did , you don't wanna stay small forever you can ,but you always wanna have that goal of turning big ,every big businesses wasn't handed a big businesses silver spoon they had to work there way up with good prices good customer service and good employees who were treated right

[@geekedmaxx]

@ImR0nBrgndy of course , we do needs laws to stop stupid big companies buying up other big companies, like Kmart did to Sears ,if your already big there's no need to buy up other companies that's just greed , and can destroy the free market , you need as much businesses and competition as possible, I wish all these CEOs took the high school economics class cause man some of these companies do dumb things , however Walmart is Walmart and hasn't bought another big company yet , and they employ a million Americans , =] we should support Walmart just like Amazon cause small businesses sell there products on Amazon and Walmart marketplace =]

[@gabbar51ngh]

Small businesses should compete better. Crying for candle industry destroyed by bulb industry is hilarious

[@Sp1n1985]

Who bought anything from ebay or a local store this Christmas 🙋🏾‍♂️

[@gamer3d147]

yourmomsspermdonor there’s a difference. Amazon and Walmart is a normal competition in the business world. But wage hikes aren’t needed.

[@jed4235]

"Can't mapout" ? You didn't know paying employees more raises prices?

[@smileychess]

Wait wait, hold on a second. Are you telling me that, if you raise the cost and risk of running a business, then fewer people will want to operate businesses?

[@tomcampbell3980]

Perhaps the minimum wage for all US workers should be $174,000 per year... the same as members of Congress....

[@jlvandat69]

Good plan; you have my vote! Let's see, that would make a Seattle Burger about $54 plus tax....

[@joshn2342323]

That's a great plan if you want unemployment to be 95%.

[@roblop6322]

You forgot to mention that they have the best health care benefits, generous retirement, and they work very little.

[@jlvandat69]

@@roblop6322 Good points.....and I believe the retirement plan applies to all of them......even the Congressmen who have a 2 year term. Imagine that....a lifetime retirement for 2 years of service. Unreal.

[@prometheus5700]

@@jlvandat69 I don't even want to google that. Too depressing.

[@jasonellsworth4046]

THE RENT IT TOO DAMN HIGH

[@whoaccountisdisanyway2985]

Everytging is too high. Inflation has gotten out of control. Just so the super rich can hoard more money for themselves

[@duckspeaker2702]

@@whoaccountisdisanyway2985 If inflation was the problem this would be happening everywhere. In other parts of the country, average wages are rising without intervention from over-inflated government

[@jamesricker3997]

In about 10 years or so the Baby Boomers will start dying in flooding the market with overpriced houses no one can afford. The price of housing should start dropping. Unfortunately it will look like 2008 on steroids

[@kittehmeow6474]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZTWf5WHh7poiqs

[@jewnbugshekelstein5180]

Welcome to open borders

[@KenRock2012]

I don't believe people don't want more hours.

[@redredmon8833]

Lower taxes!!! Raising wages will hurt everyone!! We need to fight for lower taxes so more people can take home the money they rightfully earned!

[@BossChronicles]

I recently visited Seattle for the first time I was turned off how expensive everything was

[@saulg195]

Really? We went there and it wasn't that bad.

[@BossChronicles]

Saul G were you in downtown Seattle ? Restaurants everything

[@csick11]

@@saulg195 yes it is expensive! A 300k house in texas would sale for over 1.5 million in seattle. A 300k house in seattle is a 700 square foot 2 bedroom home

[@kalashnikov1343]

I used to have a townhome I once rented for $700/month in northern Ohio, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1050 sqft, 3 stories, single garage with two reserve outside parking spaces, laundry room and basement storage, with a sliding door balcony. That same quality would be over 6 grand in NYC.

[@csick11]

@@kalashnikov1343 not all parts of ny is expensive

[@atlastobin7837]

I live near seattle, and it sucks.

[@GANTZ100pts]

We lost a bakery that's been in West Seattle for several decades not too long ago. The one next to key bank.

[@PhaseSkater]

at least its pretty

[@mikesmiths3052]

Just because the rich don't want to pay we the people a living wage... Benefits is a joke..wage a joke..

[@75erick75]

Exactly. The top 1% have more wealth than ever before and are getting richer by the day. America is the wealthiest most powerful nation in the history of the world and yet a majority of it's people are living paycheck to paycheck with hardly any savings at all. Stress, depression and other mental health issues are on the rise and yet no solutions are being put on the table to help. Fuck the outlook of this country seems so dismal for the average person.

[@mikesmiths3052]

@@75erick75 it's their plan to keep the rich in power.. And to make we the people suffer..!!

[@75erick75]

Yeah I'm not one of those "down with the 1 percent" kind of guys, but it honestly seems like the rich are rich enough, but they seem to only get richer while the poor get poorer and the middle class keeps dissipating. Idk it seems like an issue of inequality that can grow much worse in the future

[@dirtbeard108]

@@75erick75 because they didn't make it a life goal to have a min wage job

[@dexter131]

@@75erick75 it's not the government's job to make you rich. If it was, everyone would be "rich" and you would be stuck in the same boat you're in now. Go be better then your peers and join the 1%.. instead of crying about being stuck at the bottom without someone to carry you to the top.

[@MrMkapusta]

“Yes we pay $17 an hour but now nobody wants to work full hours.” Not buying it, these wage increases are to target the major players, big corporations!

[@Chris-oz9qx]

Cro Boy why wouldn’t you believe her? Her company already paid way better than most

[@MrMkapusta]

She is implying that at $17 they are making to much money cause they aren't working a full 40 hours now. That's BS! Housing is overpriced in Seattle. Not to mention covering all your utilities plus food! What about a car? Plus auto insurance, and other misalanious expenses.

[@MrMkapusta]

17 x 40 = $680.....minus taxes is what $500 a week. That's not much money unless your young and single!

[@Chris-oz9qx]

Cro Boy I doubt those people live in the wealthy part or drive cars.....most fast food workers (low earning of any industry) live on the outskirts of major cities and commute via public transport.

[@MrMkapusta]

$1200- $1900 total monthly expenses!

[@dashawndakeng]

I wonder how much of Seattle’s growth is a side effect of people fleeing California.

[@MrJaman0083]

They move everywhere

[@averat84]

Less than you’d think. GoldenState is right about Texas.

[@supercooled]

People are fleeing California?

[@JasJones123]

When a sane person moves away from insanity they don't move right back into insane societies like Seattle.

[@orangeSoda35]

No body want to live in your cloudy-ass state. The cost of living is going up cause of the Federal Reserve's easy money policies pumping cash into equities.

[@sevatatarenkov7246]

All these restaurants already paid more than minimum...seems like this has to do w rental prices

[@RaytheonNublinski]

Cant rely on the #fakenews to report accurately. It’s the only thing I agree with trump on. The media is an absolute dumpster fire.

[@gregoryldismukes]

Lol it has to do with the dollar and inflation. It's minimum wage is just another strain on the dollar. Where headed towards ression.

[@gregoryldismukes]

@@TheGreatGadfly how based on What? Especially when the cost of everything will inflate.

[@gregoryldismukes]

@@TheGreatGadfly lol it's becoming the norm, look at Austin Tx, Dallas TX, Atl Georgia, etc. Y'all hoping and wishing that Seattle isn't the norm.

[@gregoryldismukes]

@@TheGreatGadfly it's becoming the norm can you read. But for LA, San Fran, Oakland, New York, it is right now. You really think 15 dollars an hour will help you. Hahaha, that's only going to make 15 dollars an hour the new 7.25 an hour.

[@sillysiji5257]

This is literally the reason why raising the minimum wage does not work

[@deridex77]

Silly Siji so you want employees to not make ends meet?

[@nurrakugy5126]

@@deridex77 your missing the point. Raising minimum wages give greedy little parasitic corporate bastards an excuse to raise prices.

[@40HDR]

So the people who benifit the most at the top end pay scale "choose" to work less now they are getting paid more? seems like something is a miss.

[@RandomPerson-go5sn]

Bernie sanders had to cut his campaign staff’s working hours after wages increased. It’s not as easy as just “you will pay more”

[@mickdavis2385]

Lol did he vote for that policy. Would be funny if he did.

[@RandomPerson-go5sn]

Mick Davis it’s possible he would have, but this was state legislation and he’s not from New York.

[@safir2241]

Which means that they make the same amount of money, & work less. Which means that they earn more per hour.

[@RandomPerson-go5sn]

Safir it depends on how many hours he cut. But the point is, he did and points an irony, considering it’s Bernie sanders.

[@houtexflex]

It must hurt to get fired by a guy who never had a job

[@norrispg6085]

yes, those higher wages do provide a better lifestyle -- until the job goes away as a result of those higher wages

[@jamesgand828]

I wonder what would cause that to happen? The law makers that don't give that flexibility to the small Businesses?

[@The757packerfan]

@norrispg exactly. It's a shock to the economy that looks good in the beginning, but the market always comes back to equilibrium.

[@lukedurkin1254]

norrispg cost of living for the min wages earners rises about the same, possibly more than the wages so they really don’t even provide a better lifestyle. Job loss is just one of the numerous negative outcomes. Not to mention this is mostly non-whites losing their jobs and being hammered by cost of living increases. So the minimum wage is still the racist Jim Crow law it was invented to be.

[@dr1flush]

If you paid attention you'd have heard that all these places already pay above minimum wage

[@norrispg6085]

@@lukedurkin1254 yes, but I meant better than the decline as cost of living increases but wage remains the same...and, yes, there are more negative outcomes than we can even fathom

[@mtallmen184]

People need to just stop living in cities, it sucks

[@bff1316]

Yep, we moved to a small mountain town. Our children were raised with a lot less stress and a lot more friends. Lower drug use up, less crime, I am not saying there is none, just less. We know our neighbors names and when hard times hit, we pull together.

[@Ridinfixinman]

I agree, but stay away from me with their crazy politics.

[@dmil8980]

So much unnecessary stress

[@foxvulpes8245]

NO! keep your shcity ideas in your shcities ! They made their bed and they can lie in it.

[@467076]

Na, let them live in their stupid cities with their bums all while voting for the same crooked democrats. Me on the other hand, small little city, like to go out in the lands and just shoot my guns and have fun, don’t ruin that for me lol

[@davidfox1542]

As someone who use to live in Seattle (moved out 3 years ago) I can say the overpriced rent is mainly caused by ALL the high paying Tech job were those people make 100k+ a year has driven the market up so much NOT the $17 an hour min wage. You can barley survive in a shitty 250sqf studio on that wage. Mine was about $1000 a month and that was the low end price.

[@jimgallagher3904]

There nice devils.

[@reggiebuffat]

Who would have thought that pumping a trillion dollars in the economy would have consequences for inflation?

[@ryanwalker3509]

We have quadrupled our money supply in the last ten years, and the CPI is at 1.6 percent inflation. Tell that BS to my grocery bill.

[@reggiebuffat]

@@ryanwalker3509 have you watched the video?

[@Joe-ff4if]

the rent....IS TO DAMN HIGH!

[@kreozero5312]

Crom moving is an expensive process and not everyone can afford it

[@sarcasticdragon8673]

austin M yeah almost like packing all your shit with no plans is a bad thing.... okay I got rid of my shit where is my income while I’m moving? Where’s my income when I arrive at this beautiful new city. Oh where am I going to live. Really simple but hey?

[@Mishkafofer]

and you know that because you are a karate expert?

[@cosmokramer1987]

Even the suburbs of Seattle. Suburbs, especially in South King county which used to be dirt cheap like Burien, White Center, Tukwila, Des Moines, SeaTac, Kent, Federal Way, Renton have gone up substantiality.

[@Network126]

@@kreozero5312 Exactly! I keep telling all of the critics and trolls on my channel that moving is too expensive! All they do is say that I'm full of "excuses". Even you're getting those same stupid responses here! It's unbelievable! Everyone expects you to just throw all of your stuff away and live in your car or something, and then, supposedly, your life magically gets better. Yeah, try getting a job without a mailing address, or the ability to take a shower, or have clean clothes! These people are fucking STUPID, and always think that they have all the answers!

[@abeldoesit6559]

If everything including wages go up then doesn’t everything just stay the same.

[@averat84]

_"If you stick a knife nine inches into my back and pull back six inches, you have done me no favor."_ *-Anne Frank, probably*

[@allbaugh04]

Wages are only going up for the low end employee, forcibly, which ends up as a tax to every customer whose wages have been relatively stagnant for decades.

[@jimbob9895]

Which is why increasing minimum wage isn't the solution. The focus needs to be lowering cost of living and a good start would be to remove shitty policies like the zoning law polices on the entire west coast.

[@AmazingStoryDewd]

Yes. That's why I dont get why people are advocating for a minimum wage hike. It changes almost nothing and becomes harder for entry level workers to find a job.

[@Panda_J1]

That’s why bernies minimum wage hike doesn’t work. Everything is just going to get more expensive

[@xxabulletxx]

Welcome San Francisco, Seattle.

[@WWTormentor]

It may seem like they are making more money in the short term. However as companies have to increase their prices to be able to pay the higher wages, they will soon realize that they are back to square one or worse without a job because the company has to pay off to cut costs. If your pay goes up 20%, it means the employers cost went up 30%. Why you may ask? Because now the employee has to pay not only higher wages, but higher payroll taxes, worker’s compensation, and other expenses. Thus you got a 20% raise but now the cost of buying the same things you did before went up 30% because everyone else has to pay more now to run their business. People simply don’t realize that you can’t simply improve someone’s life by forcing everyone to pay more. It just creates a domino effect.

[@Iris_Collins]

A $10/hour employee costs $15/hour to hire. Because of taxes and fees the employer has to pay on each one.

[@DeathsAngel323]

Why can’t people understand that if you raise labor costs, fewer people will have jobs raising homelessness. Stop raising minimum wage!

[@jefflove2777]

Vote yang 2020 #yanggang #freedomdividend

[@jefflove2777]

@@beautiful-rain55 you still can

[@jefflove2777]

@@beautiful-rain55 im all over youtube hash tagging lol I go in bernies live and hash tag and trumps live ive been a yang troll for 6 months now

[@LetsTakeWalk]

Sure, why is this not the case in like the rest if the world?

[@austinlitterini6457]

So I looked up number of restaurants in Seattle and every other site I found said that the number is going DOWN

[@chrispafrieddreamaster4085]

Yeah, this is the only story I've seen where they say there's an increase.. I've heard #s like 2600, to 5000, businesses closing since the increase..

[@zuramax2049]

Feels like Income Gentrification...People with High income moving in and price hiking housing causing locals to be unable to afford rent & increasing property taxs...who pays for a 25$ salad....

[@formidablesloth1806]

DaBoogie it’s certainly not one single person.

[@heir.of.regulus6924]

That's because that's exactly the problem. I live in seattle, and Amazon/Microsoft/Google are also here. They hire people out of country on 6months-1yr contracts, then by the time they're done they're loaded with cash. So apartments jack up prices because those people have a higher income. But the rest of us don't, and we have to suffer for it. (There's a lot more to it than that, but that's the summery of it) it's all the giant corporations to blame. Everyone in seattle knows it.

[@75erick75]

@DaBoogie nah sounds like you need more compassion and empathy. Not everyone has the resources or the tact to just get rich. The land of opportunity is disappearing right in front of us.

[@PhaseSkater]

yup exactly. nothing to do with the min wage. thats why portland has high wages and the rent situation isnt as bad as seattle, but its still going up due to tons of californians moving here with tons of money

[@nubserver]

Damn people who would consider paying $25 for a salad are the same people asking for more money...people don’t know how to spend money.

[@alexacosta2774]

You don't go to a high-end restaurant for the food. You go there to show off. Besides how much is a restaurant that pays 16,000 in rent supposed to charge?

[@nubserver]

@@alexacosta2774 they can charge whatever they want, it's up to you to pay it.

[@alexacosta2774]

@@nubserver ....... and people were paying it

[@nubserver]

@@alexacosta2774 ok then my comment still stands.

[@alexacosta2774]

@@nubserver The lady said herself she has trouble getting people to pick up hours.... so yeah the people have leverage and they can ask for more money. What are you going to do not ask for more money, when you know you have leverage? How you decide to spend your money is your business but If I was making 533 dollars a day just from leasing property to the guy running the restaurant then yea I have no problem paying 25 dollars for a salad after all that's close to what the guy is paying me every hour during the span of the 24hr day.

[@MandellaJ]

At the beginning of the story it says "Wage war", it's not a wage war it's a price war. 16k in rent but the wage raise was the big deal. And they picked restaurants to do a story on. One of the most difficult business' to be in.

[@lydiaanderson2870]

@Hello MandellaJ, How are you doing?

[@MandellaJ]

@@lydiaanderson2870 Im good

[@DobaDave]

Minimum wage didn't need to go up, cost of living needs to go down

[@orangeboy97]

Went there last month, there is no dollar menu at McDonald's and big mac's were $7 for the burger alone

[@Andreas4696]

What is it where you live? I have no idea what McDonald's prices are outside of Norway.

[@orangeboy97]

@@Andreas4696 normally you can get cheese burgers and chicken sandwiches for around $1. Big macs are around $3.50. So Seattle is pretty much double from a place that's 4hrs away in the same state

[@orangeboy97]

@GoldenState lol This has nothing to do with jobs. I'm an electrical engineer

[@scotchy451]

@@orangeboy97 bullshit a mcdouble in cle elum or ellensburg or Moses lake cost the same as in Seattle. it is almost $3 which is stupid but it is the same price everywhere

[@weswest8666]

Tall Random Guy Trader Joe’s is the same price everywhere :)

[@billybadass8690]

The rising cost of housing is the problem. Workers need higher wages to pay their higher rent, but the small businesses can’t afford it, so the employees move somewhere more affordable and everyone loses.

[@hanbulban3131]

I live in Australia and we have annual increase to the minimum wage, and all it does is increase the cost of living. Now those living on minimum wage once again complain that it’s not enough and the cycle continues. It’s pointless to force minimum wage up only hurts the economy. Instead cost of living should be reduce like rental and energy costs

[@Dweller415]

I lived briefly in Seattle and dined out rarely due to the price of simple meals.

[@KevinMcMullen.]

Are you kidding! I was making $17.91 an hour when I was a Cop risking my life. They get paid the same to flip burgers? Ridiculous!

[@KevinMcMullen.]

JOE SIX PACK Most cops don't do it for the money. They do it because they want to help people. Then alot of them including myself realize most people don't want to be helped or can't be helped. Then you realize it ia a waste of your time trying and you quite. Like myself.

[@sullenday]

Kevin McMullen really? I would only be a cop for the money. Sure I’d like to help people on the job, but are you really there to do that?

[@KevinMcMullen.]

JOE SIX PACK Most calls for an emt and firefighter are drug overdoses. And other drug related medical issues that we were also called out to. Being an emt or firefighter would get old fast. I realized most people aren't worth helping. And I also realized how terrible majority of people are. Being a cop changed my perspective on alot of things. When you see someone run over someone's head with there truck because they owed them $50 you will understand. But most people never see the sick stuff people do in a daily basis. But cops, emt, and firefighters do. They see the reality while others only see the few things put on the news with little to no correct information.

[@dr1flush]

For a cop you don't seem so sharp obv it's a diff state.

[@KevinMcMullen.]

dr1flush Thanks I'm sure you are way smarter.

[@steveg9302]

Who the hells wants to live in Seattle anyway? It’s constantly raining, overcast and generally just depressing.

[@TyKOmain]

Steve from Texas It’s something about those high paying jobs at Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, Costco, and T-Mobile

[@lIIl_lIl_lIIl]

who the hell wants to live in Texas...

[@supercooled]

Sad means seasonal affective disorder. We get that in countries with changing seasons. Haven’t seen the sun in months and I feel for Seattle residents.

[@steveg9302]

TyKOmain yeah, 6-figure jobs and 3k/month apartments. Meanwhile 6 months worth of rent in Seattle is a down payment for a 3 bedroom 2 car garage house in Texas😂. Also, ever heard of the oil industry?

[@steveg9302]

The Yellow Cursor exactly! SAD!

[@Sio91pmw]

All raising the minimum wage does is increase the cost of everything... eventually the new minimum wage will become worthless again... #feeltheburn?

[@thijsjong]

By that logic the minimum wage earnerst are the only ones who are productieve. If you raise the minimum wage by 10% prices do no raise by 10%. Some prices will not get higher at all as a result of a minimum wage raise.

[@Sio91pmw]

thijsjong my logic is if you don’t wanna live at minimum wage... move forward... find a new job... get an education in anything find a way to make your situation better... I have zero sympathy for the 20 year fast food worker that want higher pay...

[@warhawkofchogoris8555]

There ain't a burger flipper on earth that should be making $18 per hour.

[@jakemf1]

Daniel Kudela yup HS and college jobs not careers

[@Julie-qr9ow]

If that's what it takes to survive then yes they should

[@spensinthevalley3099]

100% employer paid healthcare is pretty dam good

[@buffalo1d]

They will keep voting Democrats so pretty soon they'll only bring home about $7 of it.

[@iamcosma7065]

Julie Survive? What does this even mean? Nobody flipping burgers is starving. Many people in poverty in the US are morbidly obese. It’s not an employers responsibility to take care of the living situations of their employees, why should it be?

[@uhhmon319]

Yang gang Higher minimum wage is a larger incentive for companies to automate the jobs away

[@michaelgray1803]

Keep automating see will your robots buy your product

[@Panda_J1]

That’s why Bernie is wrong on minimum wage

[@futureshock7425]

Robots don’t buy things

[@hillerm]

mindless monk Slowing down automation is a terrible idea. You’re basically slowing human progress. What they should do is remove the minimum wage and reduce the amount of immigrants coming in. This will lead to maximum employment and force companies to be more competitive with their salaries.

[@BTrain-is8ch]

@mindless monk "Good" jobs aren't the ones that are in serious danger of being automated away in the coming decades. Retail/fast food cashier isn't a "good" job. Phone support line operator isn't a "good" job. Operating a ride share/taxi isn't a "good" job. Delivering Amazon packages or working in an Amazon warehouse isn't a "good" job. People are constantly complaining about how not good those jobs are. Government meddling to slow down automation would likely create situations where competition would be limited because the small, efficient, upstarts can't compete with the multi-billion dollar giant because they can't afford to waste money on inefficient labor. Leave technology alone and prepare to adapt. If I start a business and I can automate the entire operation you have absolutely no right to force me to do anything different. None. I do not have an obligation to employ people. No one does.

[@Parkerhiggs]

Minimum wage for minimum skills!!

[@mushrooka]

In this day and age you can have a 4 year degree and still struggle to find a good paying job.

[@Parkerhiggs]

Erik yeah you’re right but it is because a degree doesn’t necessarily equate to skills..

[@socommaster]

@@mushrooka yeah if you do a useless degree but you dont, its not a problem

[@mushrooka]

@@socommaster that's not necessarily true

[@socommaster]

@@mushrooka it is If you do an engineering degree versus a useless history major or communications degree You will get a job

[@socalcuts1284]

It’s almost like liberal and democrat policies hurt rather than help, where have we seen this before🤔

[@RedPandaStan]

Democrats are very torn on this issue to be clear, most don't want it. It's only the quote on quote "progressives" pushing for this.

[@randomrandomnesss2188]

ChickenManiac 123 what you say is correct. However it’s unfortunate that the amount of coverage that the “raise minimum wage” far outpaces any coverage of more centered democratic policies.

[@MapleJokerRofl]

Not even the problem . The problem are the rich giving themselves bonuses of millions instead of putting them on the business. Wanting to keep everything for themselves. So they raise the prices in order not to lose some of those hundreds of millions they get on bonuses

[@PhaseSkater]

idk i lived in alabama for 15 years. republican policies didnt exactly help the people in that state either...

[@dougs7367]

Actually liberals and their policies have given you every right, freedom and comfort you enjoy in the modern world.

[@whitediver45]

Minimum wage, a vicious cycle that ends in homelessness. Smart.

[@DHart293]

Great reporting? How much was the hike?

[@mushrooka]

Maybe read the description?

[@Blitznstitch2]

Wages up, taxes up, rent up, cost of living up... inflation sucks and will ruin your economy.

[@demon66685]

@GoldenState Capitalism has taken the most people out of poverty than any other system. We also create more wealth in this country than anywhere else in the world.

[@vfalkin1255]

Everyone want lower prices and high pay wages. That will never happpen

[@andrewfreeman88]

It's happening in Texas thus far..relatively better than most states

[@alexliu5806]

Problem is the lower wages are no longer able to keep meet peoples' basic needs. Easier to propose minimum wage increase than to somehow make literally everything else cheaper. The rising rents are definitely not helping.

[@andrewfreeman88]

@@alexliu5806 on the flip side this creates another problem which is people getting laid off and losing working hours..and worse companies are closing..so there's that to contend with..You should be paid what you are worth NOT what the government says you can get paid..

[@alexliu5806]

@@andrewfreeman88 The truth is that higher wages often hurt smaller businesses. Unfortunately, the sad reality of it is that politicians often care more about the good press and votes than the long-term consequences their policies may bring. It's often easier for them to solve the immediate problems of rent and basic necessities being so expensive with a higher wage standard, but this really should just be a temporary fix - a band-aid fix until a more permanent solution can be found.

[@andrewfreeman88]

@@alexliu5806 Yes that's right, but they are not solving the problem of high rent especially, in already high demand cities on the west coast. They have repeatedly stifled development via so called "rent control" which only further delays progress. You have to increase supply to satisfy demand not suppress rents for decades where it only helps one lucky person but then never want to leave so the societal benefit is removed..It's a backward policy notoriously common for "progressive" politicians.

[@craigrs61]

What is the tipping situation? If the server gets a higher minimum wage are you still expected to pay tips of between 15 to 20 percent? So, if you pay 20 dollars for a salad is the final cost $28.00 for the salad?

[@InternationalStacker]

Wait... so you’re telling me if you raise minimum wages all prices go up to? 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️😂😂😂

[@InternationalStacker]

Schwarzer Haufen yes I have heard all of those things, in fact it’s why I have my channel! Check it out! Inflation is actually like a hidden tax taking away people’s buying power... but minimum wage is not the way to fix it, as when wages go up, everything else does as well to keep pace with it, so the workers is designed to help and protect it actually ends up hurting them. 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓

[@kiedranFan2035]

Yep, because no one banning the right for businesses to raise prices when they start having to pay workers what they deserve. Bet you it's for the good of the laziest people at the company, namely those who run it who also don't want to earn their worth (wich is much less, maybe even then a frontline workers is). So to get around the wage increases they raise prices. It always leads to more poverty this way. Need corporate policing

[@surfblue7336]

That's what all heard from the Democrat side that oh nothing will change yeah right. Just the fact when you raise something everything else gets raised. I wish people would understand how Economics work but they don't. That's why California is going down in the dumps.

[@surfblue7336]

@Schwarzer Haufen have you ever heard of the Democrats not doing their job properly and trying to reduce the cost of living but no. Some Republicans in my state are just as worse I think on the cost of living. I've been trying to tell everybody this the Democrats want to control you that's how it is

[@EvilDickism]

@@kiedranFan2035 you are too dumb to live

[@mastersr1956]

what a shame no body ever thought about this before the wage jumps

[@bigd5080]

😂 right?! 👍

[@206guy5]

Politicians are professional useless people.

[@lydiaanderson2870]

@Hello Rick Masters, How are you doing?

[@uchihaitachi72]

Look at that wages went up and so did everything else. So its like nothing changed.

[@wizard_of_the_west8270]

I like how they raised prices and still have reduced hours.

[@station08]

Reporter: How do you feel about the pay increase? Food service employee: Better !

[@Americanfootballer]

They don't need Minimum wages to go up, the problem lies in the Federal Taxes, Get rid of Federal Taxes, and let the working people take home more money.

[@Chadladitoldyouso]

Blake T I think he might be referring to the other taxes, employers pay on their end aswell, an employee at 15 per hour actually costs an employer over 20 per hour when you account for social security and payroll tax. Social security is money that government takes and spends and assumes the next guy will pay you back so in essence we can think of it as a tax as it’s contributions are put in a general spending budget. I know you are referring to the federal income tax and you are correct. There are the other taxes to consider.

[@darkstorminc]

There is also paying in workman's comp and unemployment ins paid by the company. The real problem though is cost of living goes up so people need a higher minimum to survive. Higher wages in turn mean higher prices. On the flip side you have rent and utilities for the business that continue to increase for no good reason.

[@manoftruth0935]

Minimum wage was never meant to be a living wage. Cost of living ends up being double the minimum wage, every time.

[@lilianedubois2539]

Some restaurants are closing not because of wages hike but because of rent increases.

[@Chano601]

When minimum wage goes up, everything goes up except people who are not on minimum wage! If minimum wage goes up $4 and the person Not making minimum wage goes down by $4 with inflation! Simply economic!

[@jayf4340]

She said she talk to workers but why didn’t she talk to them on camera. Lies

[@jimferriter8813]

If there were no repercussions to the employer for raising wages, everyone in the world would pay $100/hour or more to their employees.

[@sara4557]

The fact: some people told me they have to find 2nd and 3rd part time jobs because their first employers don’t offer full time jobs!

[@adammiddleton2503]

You wanna know how they deal with rising min wage? Automation.

[@williethomas2628]

SLUMLORDS HAS THEIR FEET ON THE NECK OF THE ECONOMY. 16,000 DOLLARS A MONTH FOR RENT. SAD.

[@terryeffinp]

If you can't afford or unwilling to pay 16k a month, don't live there.

[@gapyrodawg5181]

The Strip Club near my house pays $20,000 a month to a Korean family that owns the land where the tittie's are seen.

[@williethomas2628]

@@gapyrodawg5181 does it matter what nationality get the money if it is outrageous?

[@VinhLe-bi4zh]

@@gapyrodawg5181 LOL

[@lukedurkin1254]

Welcome to the NIBMY Democrats anti-growth America.

[@jimtalor7971]

What's worst than having a $25 salad by the window.... Someone taking a dump right outside.

[@MaskedMageYT]

Automation gets very expensive when the machines have issues. Now instead of paying an employee you are paying for machine repairs

[@Smokey63]

What most people don’t realize is that increasing minimum wage harms everyone except for the people making minimum wage. If you make $60,000 a year you aren’t getting a pay raise, but you will have to pay more for lunch at McDonald’s. McDonalds has to raise their prices not only because the labor for making a Big Mac is more but because the food costs are higher since the cost of paying the guy to feed the cows is higher. Businesses get hit from every aspect and pass all that cost onto the customer who gains nothin from a minimum wage increase

[@lukedurkin1254]

Smokey63 right but min wagers earners aren’t excluded, in fact they’re hit the hardest because the increase in prices is mostly for necessities like food, clothing and shelter, not so much for luxury goods like Mac Laptops. When I was in Australia groceries and clothing were 2-4x more expensive depending on what you were buying but a MAC was only 10% more for example.

[@sasca854]

Gee it's almost like we told you so. Oh wait, we did. Congrats on the minimum wage increase. Enjoy your $25 salad.

[@pognarchy]

Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t know that the city was dirt cheap to live in before the min wage increase and just skyrocketed out of literally nowhere, Oh wait that’s not the case... it was going to rise either way.... oopsies forgot to leave that out didn’t you? You forgot the COL increases with or without a wage increase right? You forgot it was already ridiculous both before and after right? It’s almost as if you don’t critically think about this stuff because you wanna think you’re right Oh also this is literally just one restaurant lmao. What about the others? Oh yea, other workers and businesses saw an increase in morale and flourished (an example being vine and dine). It’s a mess all across the city because the COL is just outrageous

[@davidmiller532]

Seattle has lacked housing since the mid 90s.

[@SgtJoeSmith]

What do you mean prices go up to pay higher wages.

[@statesman4326]

News flash: automation is coming and it doesn't matter what you think employees should earn...unless people are willing to work for free to compete with something that isnt living.

[@southrnlyfe]

Full automation is a very long way off.. There is no restaurant in the world that is fully automated.

[@chirho100]

That’s communism, equal share for all, but if everyone is paid the same, the lazy man is encouraged to maintain his bad habits, the hard working man is encouraged to become the lazy man, no incentives, no drive, if we are all paid the same, then we are all poor.

[@andrewburgess-linden9612]

As someone who has been in Restaurant Management and has worked every job in the Business from Buser to GM, this is Bad on business. If the Dishwasher is making $15, the cooks will want more. The Landlord will raise the rent and Food Cost will Go up by more than double. The only businesses who can afford to survive this hike are Corporations.

[@houchi69]

Increasing minimum wage is not fixing the real issues.

[@theoneaboveall1455]

There's another side of the story that they dont mention, the problem is not minimum wage going up.

[@KingTrunkzdbz]

The rich complaining about paying the poor.

[@thaihm]

This was an experiment and it’s good there’s data to make the argument for or against minimal wage.

[@phays10]

In Seattle the press keeps saying the wage has nothing to do with it even though many business people are saying it is.

[@timmeyer9191]

The cost of living in places like Seattle or NYC is going to be more than in places like rural Montana or Alaska. Like at the beginning of this report, the restaurant had to increase their prices due to their labor costs. They can afford to do this because they have a large customer base to pull from- Seattle. Rural areas do not have that customer base to pull from, so increases in labor costs make it harder for the employers to remain in business. To the people in those areas the question is "What good is $15/hr if there are no jobs available?" Personally, I think the minimum wage rate should be taken out of the hands of the Federal and State governments and given to the local county and city governments because they know what their people and business needs are. Federal and State governments are trying a one size fits all approach and that does not work.

[@DasJaegar]

Minimum wage isn’t the problem here , it’s real estate 🤦

[@chaosXP3RT]

Apartment rent in Green Bay, Wisconsin is roughly $500 per month.

[@austin_eguia]

I cant believe people pay $15 an hour for someone to flip a burger.