“Proof they’re wrong”: After the minimum wage increase, there are more fast-food jobs in California than ever before

Last year, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law the minimum wage increase for fast-food restaurants, increasing fast-food workers’ hourly pay from $15.50 to $20. While many union activists welcomed the decision as part of a broader effort to improve working conditions and eliminate wage disparities, some economists and members of the fast-food industry expressed concerns about the law’s impact on restaurants’ operating costs, which could lead to reduced hours or even layoffs.

However, according to new state and federal employment data, California’s fast-food industry has added new jobs every month this year – including 11,000 new jobs since the wage increase officially took effect in April. In May 2023, for example, there were 742,600 fast-food workers in the state; a year later, that number was 743,300.

According to a press release from Newsom’s office last week, there has been a steady increase in fast-food jobs every month since the wage increase this year, and nearly every month saw more jobs than the same month last year.

“What’s good for workers is good for business, and as California’s fast-food industry continues to boom each month, our workers are finally getting the pay they deserve,” Newsom said in a written statement. “Despite the lies that would doom the industry, California’s economy and workers are once again proving them wrong.”