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New study says California’s fast-food restaurants are shedding jobs
ktla ^ | 04/07/2025 | : Marc Sternfield

Posted on 04/07/2025 1:50:17 PM PDT by BenLurkin

New research published by Pepperdine University is attempting to settle the debate over whether boosting the minimum wage for fast-food workers in California to $20 an hour has cost jobs.

The study, released on April 1 to coincide with the one-year anniversary of AB 1228, cites recent data from the California Employment Development Department, showing a “significant” decline of over 23,100 jobs. At the same time, fast-food employment grew by 0.8% nationwide, researchers said.

The other outcome is that customers are paying more for their burgers, chicken strips, French fries and tacos than before. Many fast-food chains began raising prices when AB 1228 was signed into law and continued to do so after it took effect.

(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: minimumwage
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To: DIRTYSECRET
Michael Savage: “I don’t like the Italian restaurants in SF because the cooks are from Guatemala”.

And in Southern California, the owners of Italian restaurants are often from the Middle-or Far East.

21 posted on 04/07/2025 2:50:08 PM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: BenLurkin

Five Guys has the best burger near us, $25 for coke fries and burger. I can get a $15 bottle of French wine and Nolan Ryan filet mignon for that price.


22 posted on 04/07/2025 2:50:08 PM PDT by Jolla
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To: BenLurkin

Deceitful article so must be all lies:

23k jobs lost vs 0.8% nationally. Why don’t they use the same units?

Because that would be honest.

Translation: higher wages is working so we have to lie about it.


23 posted on 04/07/2025 3:01:54 PM PDT by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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To: Singermom
Tell them to learn to code.

For simple tasks, ChatGPT or grok3 can knock out much of the code. The extra effort that AI can't do right isn't likely to be resolved by a wet behind the ears coder.

24 posted on 04/07/2025 3:13:00 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: BenLurkin

Many years ago, there was a big political push for a national minimum wage of $15/hr. The grocery stores, Walmart, and others put in several automated check-out lanes because they thought the law would go through. Employees were very active in training customers how to self-check.

$15/hr never materialized. The automated lanes remain but the urgency in training the public in their use is now gone.

It’s not just economic theory, it’s common sense. Use your noggin. If something costs more, you will buy less. That applies to businesses as well as to final consumers. So, if a union or the government forces companies to pay more for help, less help will be employed.

There is a way to raise wages without unions or government. Increase productivity. That’s not a magic quick fix, but it is a real fix. It explains why we are generally more affluent than our parents and our grandparents.


25 posted on 04/07/2025 3:15:53 PM PDT by ChessExpert (The Democratic party must be destroyed.)
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To: central_va

Is this sarcasm or are you really this foolish?


26 posted on 04/07/2025 3:16:53 PM PDT by packrat35 (Pureblood! No clot shot for me!)
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To: BenLurkin

So glad to be outta there!!


27 posted on 04/07/2025 3:17:15 PM PDT by EliRoom8 ( -- )
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To: Jolla

Fast food is rapidly getting to be more expensive than eating at an actual restaurant.


28 posted on 04/07/2025 3:19:24 PM PDT by packrat35 (Pureblood! No clot shot for me!)
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To: BenLurkin

Tell them to learn to code.


29 posted on 04/07/2025 3:22:17 PM PDT by Singermom
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Which state?


30 posted on 04/07/2025 3:23:48 PM PDT by airborne (Thank you Rush for helping me find FreeRepublic! )
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To: Jolla

There is a place in my town called Val’s burgers. Been there since the 60s I think.

Bacon cheeseburger fries and a soda for about 10 bucks. Puts five guys to shame for less than half the price. Find the local guy, they are almost always better than the corporate chains


31 posted on 04/07/2025 3:26:24 PM PDT by cableguymn (Can't cancel all of us)
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To: BenLurkin

With labor costs mandated by the government to outrageous levels the restaurant owners have to raise their prices and when the prices get too high, consumers decide to eat at home.

This is apparently too hard for Democrats to understand.


32 posted on 04/07/2025 3:26:42 PM PDT by libertylover (Our biggest problem, by far, is that almost all of big media is AGENDA-DRIVEN, not-truth driven.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I’d say “Italian” restaurants in California are staffed by 95% non-Italians.


33 posted on 04/07/2025 3:34:21 PM PDT by rfp1234 (E Porcibus Unum)
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To: central_va
The typical owner, that has two yachts, a vacation home and and Lexus can’t afford to pay someone enough to work for him....

Very few people who own a Fast food franchise can afford that kind of lifestyle. Maybe if you own a whole string but most own one or two.

34 posted on 04/07/2025 3:46:22 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear ( Not my circus. Not my monkeys. But I can pick out the clowns at 100 yards.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
So how many people does your business provide a "living wage" for?

I'll take a shot if you don't mind. I have 1 employee and he made about $120K last year. But fast food jobs were supposed to be for high school and college kids for the most part.
35 posted on 04/07/2025 3:47:54 PM PDT by eyeamok
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To: central_va

Fantasy, look at the business profit margins before and after, not everyone starts out as Shaq at papas


36 posted on 04/07/2025 3:51:43 PM PDT by bdfromlv (Leavenworth hard time)
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To: eyeamok
I only asked him that because he said "The typical owner, that has two yachts, a vacation home and and Lexus can’t afford to pay someone enough to work for him...."

I have never created a job for anyone in my life (other than paying for goods and services), and I am very grateful for those who have.

Not that guy, though.

He thinks anybody dumb enough to create a job for another human being is "rich" and deserves to be punished.

37 posted on 04/07/2025 4:07:56 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of anger, hate and violence.)
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To: central_va

I know of three people that own or owned restaurants. All were successful, but none owned “two yachts, a vacation home, etc....” The hours you put in to operate a restaurant is very very long. As someone said, “you get rich working at minimum wage.” One guy who owns successful hot dog stands told me that he now works fifty hours a week and he considers himself to be semi-retired.


38 posted on 04/07/2025 4:08:21 PM PDT by fini
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Here in California I applaud anyone that has an employee. The ridiculous amount of crap,laws,paperwork, extra costs like insurance and MONEY to be an “employer” is equal to the salary you are paying said employee. I am retiring by the end of summer.


39 posted on 04/07/2025 4:18:00 PM PDT by eyeamok
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To: BenLurkin

“New study says California’s fast-food restaurants are shedding jobs”

California is shedding people so the above is a given.


40 posted on 04/07/2025 5:04:37 PM PDT by SaxxonWoods (The road is a dangerous place man, you can die out here...or worse. -Johnny Paycheck, 1980, Reno, NV)
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