Fast food joints cannot afford to pay their employees a lot — because their customers are expecting a dirt cheap, quality, meal.
BTW, I worked in fast food, my wife too, and we gained some valuable life experiences.... but both of us were kids.
My contention is hire less employees who are more efficient and use technology to replace those relatively useless slave-labor employees.
I agree that there has to be provision for entry level jobs. Temporary agencies and manager training opportunities while in school could fill that job. If the laws weren't such a mess, resourceful students could be setting up businesses and providing services. If I were going to college now I'd take some Accounting or other job-training courses while in HS so I'd be elibible for a real job.
I bet things would change if a certain class of low skilled worker were to leave and go home.
The Powers That be encouraged shipping good-paying jobs overseas, replacing our well-paid techies with H1Bs, and winked at cheap illegal labor pouring across our border.
Result: A hollowed out middle class, too many educated young people for too few well-paid jobs. What to do? Raise the wages of low-paid unskilled jobs.
Been working for years, so now that's the only alternative.