Remember when they said a higher minimum wage would spell disaster? Well the minimum wage for Seattle fast food workers reaches $15 on January 1st… and here's what we're seeing: the downtown Seattle McDonald’s is hiring.
And it’s not just Seattle. On January 1st, the statewide minimum wage rises to $11.00/hour, because we passed Initiative 1433 in November. We expect to see jobs and more hiring across the state, because when more people have more money, it means more customers for more businesses. That’s a big part of why Seattle is booming, and why Washington State’s job growth led the nation after we passed our last minimum wage increase back in 1998.
Of course, the national environment is a little unpredictable. So what do you think — what do you hope to see for workers in the year ahead?
Take the simple survey to let us know your hopes for workers in the year ahead. Then let’s make a plan to build our strength and make it happen.
