SPOKANE, Wash. — Starting Thursday, all minimum wage workers in Washington are getting a pay raise as the rate increases from $16.66 an hour to $17.13 an hour.
This marks the 9th year in a row that Washington has steadily raised its minimum wage. The 47-cent increase helps employees like servers, baristas and cashiers pay their bills while keeping Washington as the highest minimum wage state in the country.
For some workers, that small amount could make a big impact. When the news was shared online, some in the comments agreed this was a good thing. But others had a different reaction.
Brooks Thomas, owner of Jewel of the North restaurant that opened in Browne’s Addition last spring, said the timing creates serious challenges for new businesses.
“Personally, I’m terrified. It keeps us up at night,” Thomas said. “We’re new business owners and just trying to make a buck in small business is hard enough already in this economy.”
For a restaurant that employs up to 15 people at a time, the owners say the minimum wage increase could force them to make changes just to stay open.
“Keep different costs down as much as you can so your customers can still have a competitive price for your product. And so if you raise minimum wage, like everything, you’re just going to also raise with it naturally,” said AJ Hanson, owner of Jewel of the North.
Some worry that by raising minimum wage, the cost of living will go up as well, impacting the prices on everyday items. Many who commented on social media posts shared that fear.
“And just the fact that I feel like the people who are making these changes don’t understand what it’s like as a small business,” Thomas said.
As Jewel of the North prepares for their costs to go up in the new year, they offer one plea to the community.
“Support local like so we can deal with these wage increases,” Thomas said.
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