California’s Fast Food Industry Gaining Jobs Despite Wage Hike, New Data Show

Business groups say the $20 minimum wage, which began April 1, will hurt the industry eventually. The data don’t show whether workers’ hours are being cut.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the fast-food wage bill surrounded by workers at the SEIU Local 721 in Los Angeles on Sept. 28, 2023. Damian Dovarganes/AP

While some recent reports claimed the fast food industry in California shed 10,000 jobs since the minimum wage was increased to $20 on April 1, new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show more jobs as of May than the same time last year.

The data show five straight months of job growth and an increase of nearly 3,000 jobs in the past year, with about 745,600 employed in the sector in May.