[RobKohr]

So, this cut out the least fit for work. One group heavily cut out would be those without work experience such as kids and other first entering the marketplace.

Fast food is a stepping stone job, and if employeers have to pay more for labor then they will be pickier about it.

Let's think about the reverse. If we cut minimum wage, the sector would be much more loose about hiring first time workers, convicts, or people just not fit for other jobs. The people could grow their skills and contribute more to society, a society where low end business constantly complain about how hard it is to find skilled workers.

High minimum wage contributes to more people on social safety nets living on low fixed incomes because the gulf between that and paid employment becomes too great and there is no low wage on ramp for them.

[delusional]

> Fast food is a stepping stone job, and if employeers have to pay more for labor then they will be pickier about it.

Why? It would seem to me that there's plenty of room in the balance sheets to just pay people more.

[twobitshifter]

This is a good attempt at a thought experiment but it doesn’t bear out at all in the evidence.

You need a fixed number of people to run a restaurant, there’s only so many positions to be filled. You aren’t hiring on extra people and spending a certain amount on labor, they’ll just pocket any excess.

You can invest in automation but today that’s at a cost higher than paying a living wage and with lower service quality.

[JumpCrisscross]

> You need a fixed number of people to run a restaurant

What? Just varying restaurant hours changes labour requirements. Menu complexity adds another dimension. Quality of service another. Restaurants are highly variable-cost businesses.