Despite the dire warnings of the business community, the recent increase to fast-food workers’ minimum wage doesn’t seem to be impacting hiring.
In April, minimum wage for fast-food workers jumped to $20 per hour, but despite that, “Employment Development Department numbers show [Southern California] had 361,500 fast food workers in June – an all-time staffing high for these dining establishments that employ 4.5% of all Southern California’s workers,” Jonathan Lansner noted in an Orange County Register column.
Despite business owners’ threats that they’d have to halt hiring or even cut staff, “job stats show fast-food employment rose by 400 in June and is up 7,600 since March – just before the wage hike,” Lansner wrote. “Plus, staffing’s up 3,000 in a year.”
And as for owners’ other threat of raising prices? That isn’t going their way either.
On Monday, McDonald’s announced it’s extending a $5 value meal promotion due to high demand for affordable fast-food amid inflation.
Other chains are also pursuing customers using discounted meals priced to more closely resemble the menus of years past.