San Diego City Council’s Wage Hike Will Cost Jobs

Media
Sep 24
2 min read

Last week, the San Diego City Council voted to raise the minimum wage for hospitality workers to $25 an hour. Supporters called it a “win” for workers, but history tells us otherwise.

We’ve already seen what happens when politicians mandate drastic wage hikes. Governor Newsom’s statewide $20 minimum wage for fast food employees was hailed as a victory—but the results have been devastating:

Nearly 20,000 fast food jobs lost in California since the law was signed.
Higher menu prices hitting families already struggling with record inflation.
Reduced hours for employees, leaving many with less income than before.
Restaurant closures and halted expansion, shrinking opportunities for workers.

This isn’t speculation—it’s fact. The Bureau of Labor Statistics confirmed California’s fast food industry has been bleeding jobs since the wage hike went into effect in April 2024.

And now, San Diego is repeating the same mistake. The City Council’s $25 mandate represents a 45% increase in labor costs for local businesses. Studies from the Employment Policies Institute show that targeted wage hikes like this don’t lift workers up—they slash jobs, cut hours, and close doors.

We’ve seen this play out before:

Los Angeles’ hotel wage law killed job growth, driving employment gains from 6.2% to nearly zero.
West Hollywood’s wage hike led to a 22% drop in employment and forced the city council to delay future increases.

When will politicians learn? Artificially inflating wages does not create prosperity—it destroys opportunity. True compassion means creating a climate where businesses can grow, hire, and provide long-term careers, not pushing them out of town with reckless policies.

I’ll continue fighting for policies that support jobs, not destroy them. San Diego can’t afford to follow Sacramento’s failed playbook.