In New York State, there is currently a proposal to increase the minimum wage for fast food workers to $15 an hour. The raise would only apply to fast food workers, and only if they work for a chain with a minimum of 30 locations. This narrow slot for opportunity raises questions for some economists and workers of other fields.
As a worker in the hospitality business, I work with all types of food, and we are expected to get it out fast. I'm not in the catering business, but I do work a country club near my house. Let me just say this, every job is stressful. Most jobs have a time limit, and we can all agree that fast food workers do have a little bit more pressure in this aspect.
However, economically, this is not going to be a good idea. Economists call these sort of changes "distortions" and they can cause issues. One of which is that fewer workers receive this raise because of the industry it is focused on. Second, according to the New York Times, it encourages businesses to act in ways customers would not like. In laymen's terms, business owners can change their business plans to avoid the minimum wage rise; independent stores might be opened, owners might not expand, and people could even be let go.
Personally, I understand why workers would want this raise...I mean, who wouldn't? Working a double on $15 an hour would be heavenly. However, this raise is a bit demanding and demeaning. We have to look at the facts:
On one hand, the people who usually have these types of jobs are students, or older people who maybe couldn't finish schooling or are putting themselves through schooling. (Trying not to generalize here, but...) These sorts of people need maybe two jobs to earn a living and raise a family. This raise can be seen as a necessity for these types of people.
On the other hand, this raise is a bit unfair to other workers in other professions. Working in a time-pressurized place can be anywhere, not just the local McDonald's. Therefore, workers that use this as an excuse to review the raise should stop. Also, as rude as this may sound, these jobs aren't that difficult. The entry level of fast food workers is usually the age of 16.
At the end of the day, the minimum wage will increase gradually, and part of the plan is to increase the wage in a lot of job markets, not just fast food workers. I see where the fast food workers are coming from, but $15 an hour is a lot compared to $8 an hour. The idea is good and plentiful for some, but not all. We will just have to see how it works out for the economy.
Oh, and also...
