In Seattle where $15.00 an hour will soon be the minimum wage math must work differently than I was taught.
This same math is on display in Los Angeles and will soon be used in Chicago and New York Fucking City.
In Seattle $15 times 0 hours is thought to be more than the present Washington state minimum wage of $9.47 times 37.5 hours (maximum hours and still be part time by Fed law).
Let's do the math!
$9.47 * 37.5 = $355.12 which doubles to $710.25 per check before taxes, FICA and deductions.
$15 * 0 = $0 which doubles to $0 per check, but remains $0 after taxes, FICA and deductions!
Why is it zero hours? Because places are saying "fuck it" and closing rather than attempting to find a way to compensate for a more than 58% increase in the price of labor.
LA is another great example because they've been seeing a rash of closures from
just the increase in labor prices from Obamacare and its attendant costs in documentation and compliance. It will be a great comfort to know that you'd be making $6 an hour more if only the place you worked was still open.
Chicago will be going from $8.25 to $10 this year and $13 by 2019.
NYFC will go from $8.75 to $9 at the end of this year, but they're talking about going higher.
I keep repeating, jobs are the
side effect of a
successful business. If the costs are such that it can't be successful, then there won't be a business and thus there won't be any jobs.
Looking up the current minimum wages showed an interesting trend, nearly all of them were $4.25 in the late '80's.
Trusting this calculator, $4.25 in 1988 is $8.43 today.
In 1990-1992 I lived on $4.25 an hour, 30 hours a week ($7.63 to $7.11 an hour in today's money) while also going to college (paid for by joining the Army in 1987-90).
In 1992 I got a job making $7 an hour, 40 hours a week ($11.71 today), because I got some education!
In 1994 I moved to a $10 an hour position, 40 a week ($15.84 today) plus benefits! Because now I had some experience to go with my diploma.
Basically, what Seattle et al want to do is make every no-skill/experience required job pay like an associates degree in mechanical drafting with two years of experience.
Eating out is a luxury you fucking morons! When it passes a certain price threshold, people stop buying the luxury item and eat what they cook at home.
