Listen, Rebekah Paxton, research director, Employment Policies Institute
Since the $20 fast food wage law was signed in 2023, California has now lost as many as 16,000 fast food jobs.
The data comes from the new Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), just out today, which includes mandatory reports from industry employers. This dataset is the gold standard for economists, and has been lauded by even Gov.Newsom’s favorite economists as the best on-the-ground look at a sector's economic situation.
A full statement and additional information is available below. A monthly breakdown of employment is also available on the BLS website.
