[runako]

> I've noticed reduced hours, reduced staff, and increased prices

Anecdotally, this also describes how things have played out in the South generally. (Southern states generally have no set minimum wage, so they mostly default to the $7.25/hr set in 2009.) Perhaps this is different in other regions?

I have similarly stopped going to most "fast" food restaurants because the waits are interminable.

This is in states where an hour of minimum-wage labor will not gross you enough money to buy a pound of store-brand ground beef.

It's not the wage.

[xienze]

> Southern states generally have no set minimum wage, so they mostly default to the $7.25/hr set in 2009.

You may be shocked to learn this, but just because they follow the minimum wage doesn’t mean companies are _actually_ paying minimum wage. Even in my southeastern state, McDonald’s is paying $12/hour. Why? Because there’s no takers, even in a LCOL area, at $7.25/hour! That’s why all this handwringing over the federal is so stupid. Local labor markets will dictate what an acceptable wage is.

[runako]

That's great, I live in a HCOL area in a Southern state and McDonald's here also pays higher than federal minimum.

BUT in other parts of the state, especially rural areas, there are definitely jobs advertised for < $8/hr. In those areas, McDonald's is paying a premium wage compared to Local Burger Joint. McDonald's pays $12/hr so they can get a higher caliber of employee than Local Burger Joint. Neither pay as much as Perdue.

> what an acceptable wage is

We agree on this, but probably on what factors go into making a wage "acceptable" and the degree to which taxpayers in other parts of the state/country should have to subsidize those wages/owners' profits via social support programs.

(I understand there is a third group of people who don't really care if the working poor are able to eat, but in the spirit of charity I do not assume anybody willing to engage in discourse is in that group.)