LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Mayor Eric Garcetti signed into law on Saturday an ordinance that makes Los Angeles the biggest city in the nation to gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

He called the law "a major victory for our city" at a signing ceremony in south Los Angeles, and said the wage increases will enable working families to lift themselves out of poverty.

"LA as a whole will benefit from this boost: We have always prospered the most when everyone is able to spend money into our economy," Garcetti said.

The law will boost the minimum wage to $10.50 in July 2016, followed by annual increases to $12, $13.25, $14.25 and $15. Small businesses and certain nonprofits get an extra year to phase in the increases.

Calls for raising the minimum wage have grown as the nation struggles with fallout from the recession, worsening income inequality, persistent poverty and the challenges of immigration and the global economy.

Seattle and San Francisco also have phased-in minimum wage laws that eventually require hourly pay of $15 an hour, or annual pay of about $31,200 for a full-time job. Last year, Chicago passed a phased-in minimum wage increase to $13 an hour.

Last week, the California Senate approved a plan to raise the statewide minimum wage again, lifting it to $13 an hour in 2017 and tying it to the rate of inflation after that.

looking at the cost of 1 bedrooms in los angeles,, this seems reasonable,,,


if people are to be able to live from what they make,, that is

the rent has been crazy
i have lived at the same place
for 9yrs
when i moved here
the rent was $450 for a 2bedroom
with a carport, and storage
which was very reasonable
the owners sold it
to another couple
and they had the duplex for a few yrs
never said he was selling them untill
i got a dang note that was on my door
which they put on backwards.... lol
so in the last 2yrs the owner raised the rent 2x
and now the new owners have a rental company take charge
who i have had in the past
so in september the rent will be raised
from $580 to $650
OUCH!!!!!!

i like the area im at
i live next door to the grade school
a field where the school is plus 2 parks
walking distance if i chose to walk to downtown

way too high, will destroy businesses, another idiot cali law.

A lot more part time jobs.

Maybe its just me, but that sounds pretty reasonable. Always heard the L.A. area rent was high and thats isnt high for my LA, Louisiana lol

$650. a month, is rather cheap for rent.

The downside to an increase in minimum wage, is that the cost of essentials needed by the minimum wage clock riders, will also increase, even more drastically.

The other downside is, most minimum wage "earners", aren't worth the $7.25 an hour, they're already getting.

Those are good rates where I live too.

As I see it, the cost of living in California is ridiculously high, hence the call for a higher minimum wage there.

The ones that are already making 15/hr or more now, are making it because they are worth it. The ones that are making 8/hr now are either just starting out or just worth 8/hr. If one doesn't have the skills or incentive to want to earn more that's what they should earn, minimum wage.
What business's don't need are more less productive employees on a higher pay scale. More jobs go to China.
What good is a 15/hr pay scale if there are no jobs to be had?
IMHO

It's time for the people making $15 to $20 now to unite and do the same thing. Demand doubling of their wages.

I wonder if this makes California feel special? For cost of living comparison they would probably need to raise it to over $25/hr to be equivalent to $15 in most of America.

http://thelibertarianrepublic.com/15-minimum-wage-advocacy-group-posts-facebook-job-listing-that-pays-12-an-hour/

in PA where i live, a 2 bedroom with car port and storage will cost around 800$to 1200$.

so theoretically if i work a job making say 15$ an hour, and i bust my balls at work. i was under the impression i got paid more than fast food workers because i have a harder job. so now if they are going to get paid 15$ an hour, is my pay going to be adjusted accordingly? after all my job is harder and requires more brain power and responsibility. so im going to have a job that is 10 times harder than flipping burgers, but yet my pay still stay the same, but these people will be getting 15$ an hour to flip burgers?

Yea, Moonbeam Brown is turning California into a liberal utopia.

Short term, No. Long term, maybe. Problem is, in the long term, it also makes it more difficult for smaller businesses to compete with the big ones. It also further encourages the industrial complex to move production jobs (The non-minimum wage jobs we should be striving for) to China, where they have no labor laws, and we refuse to charge tariffs to make up the difference.

Nevertheless you just acknowledged the one thing everyone seems to overlook. Minimum wage was never intended to be a "living wage". These jobs are for highschool/college students, retirees, and for those who just want a little side-income or hobby.

Restaurants are hit the hardest when MW is raised. Here is the problem when the government "sets" wages employers must pay:

George and Sally own a restaurant/bar. They have a total of 15 employees making minimum wage (plus tip$ of course) averaging 35 hours a week. They also have a day time and a night time manager who each earn a salary.

Let's say the minimum wage is increased just $2 an hour. Their business costs go up $1050 a week. Or $54,600 a year. Plus they will also have to give their two managers a raise. So their costs have now gone up about $60,000 a year and that's not even taking into consideration any over time. And with that increase in costs, employees won't get over time anyway.

George and Sally have mortgage payments to make on their business and their home. They can't absorb that kind of extra costs so they will raise prices.....a lot. Or lay off an employee and which employee will be the first to go? The one who's been working their the least amount of time and probably the one who needs the job the most.

What people don't understand (those who want the MW raised) is that this is robbing Peter to pay Paul. If George and Sally are forced to pay Paul a higher wage, it's going to come from Peter. The raising the MW destroys the small mom and pop businesses that America loves. A vote for highe minimum wage is a vote for more unemployment and higher costs of goods and services.

True, but the government gets more revenue from the increased tax on wages so it can spend more on welfare and entitlement programs. See, all is well

Does no one read history?!? Fact: The majority of minimum wage workers are minorities. Right or wrong, that's just the way it is. Now look at the unemployment rate of minorities since the federal minimum wage was enacted in 1938. It has skyrocketed. In one year, between 1938 and 1939, the unemployment rate of minorities (predominantly black) went from under 5% to 45%, while the unemployment rate for caucasians did the exact opposite. Why? Because until the federal minimum wage act was enacted minorities had the ability to undercut the wages caucasians were willing to work for and got the jobs. Once employers were forced to pay a set wage that ability went away and unemployment rates between whites and blacks swapped ends. Racist? Hell yes it is, but it was was it was and it is what it is. Raising the minimum wage to $15/hour is going to make the unemployment rate of minorities go even higher. Today's job market is tough, and a starting pay of $15/hour can get an employer a college grad vs. a convicted felon out on work release. Still racist? Of course it is, but is a stereotype really a stereotype if it's true? Been to McDonald's lately? I know the picture I have painted here is painful and offensive to some, but it is the truth and the truth is sometimes ugly. Don't blame the painter, blame the scenery.