David Neumark, [Distinguished Professor], a labor economist at UC Irvine, said any minimum wage increase would lead to businesses increasing their prices, usually resulting in some job loss. Neumark said there’s no logic to proposing wage bumps ahead of the Olympics, because increased demand for labor will likely lead to increased wages anyway. What would be more helpful to low-wage workers is strong labor protections, he said. When the games end, the higher minimum wage may lead employers to lay off more workers, he said.

For the full story, please visit https://calmatters.org/california-divide/2023/06/california-minimum-wage-2/.