California's $20 Fast Food Wage Yields Higher Prices, Fewer Jobs, More Automation

California’s Fast Food Minimum Wage Continues to Bite Workers, Consumers and Owners

California is reaching a grim two-year anniversary of the ill-advised $20 fast food minimum wage. AB 1228, California’s $20 wage law for fast food workers, cost non-tipped restaurant workers 250 hours of work annually, equating to up to 7 weeks of lost work – up to $4,000 in lost potential income, the Globe has reported since the bill was passed in 2023. Thousands of fast food employees lost jobs, employees’ hours were cut, and business owners h…

CA's $20 Fast Food Wage Yields Higher Prices, Fewer Jobs, More Automation

A UC-Santa Cruz study finds that California's $20 fast-food minimum wage has resulted in fewer jobs and an accelerated effort to automate.

California's $20 fast food wage yields higher prices, fewer jobs, more automation

UC - Santa Cruz found fewer jobs and worker hours, but more order kiosks, mobile apps and AI drive-through ordering systems at CA eateries.

California’s $20 fast food wage yields higher prices, fewer jobs, more automation

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Two years ago, a hotly contested law imposing a $20-per-hour minimum wage on franchised fast food outlets took effect. The legislation, Assembly Bill 1228, emerged from months of intense political conflict, pitting fast food behemoths such as McDonalds against service worker unions, arguing […] The post California’s $20 fast food wage yields higher prices, fewer jo…