You can download the full report, executive summary, or infographic.
Los Angeles evokes images of year-round sunshine and celebrity, for many, a dream city of wealth and possibility. Yet, in reality, half of L.A. residents living in poverty are employed. 723,000 Angeleno workers earn less than $15.25 an hour.
This report assesses the benefits and consequences of raising Los Angeles’ minimum wage to $15.25 per hour. The result will be an economic stimulus of $5.9 billion and more cash in the pockets for families to survive. Paying fair wages will be adjustment for some, but the result will be a bigger, sustainable and more inclusive economy for Los Angeles.
We recommend the following best practices for a smart, enforceable policy:
- Phase minimum wage increases to allow the city to adapt
- Allow minimum wage to keep pace with the cost of living
- Apply raised wages to all workers, with no exemptions or deferrals
- Enforce the wage with strong tools, including a data dashboard
You can download the full report, the executive summary, or infographic.
View the press release.
RESOURCES
- Los Angeles City Council File: 14-1371 “Establishment of Minimum Wage in Los Angeles / Ordinance” Introduced October 7, 2014 by Bonin, Cedillo, Martinez, Price.
- Los Angeles City Council File: 14-1371-S2 “Citywide Minimum Wage / CAO-CLA-EWDD / Procure an Economic Analysis” Introduced October 7, 2014 by Blumenfield, O’Farrell.
- Gould, Elise and David Cooper “EPI’s Family Budgets and Income Sufficiency in Los Angeles” Economic Policy Institute, March 12, 2015.
PRESS COVERAGE
Latest minimum wage hike comes as some employers launch bidding wars for scarce workers
By Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times (July 1, 2018)
Workers celebrate L.A.’s new $12 minimum wage, businesses brace for impact
By Natalie Kitroeff, Los Angeles Times (July 1, 2017)
California minimum wage jumped a few happy tears
By Sarah Le, NTD News (January 6, 2016)
Yes, Your T-Shirt Was ‘Made in LA’—and the Worker Got 4 Cents For It
By Michelle Chen, The Nation (September 11, 2015)
Enforcement of New L.A. Minimum Wage Law Will Be Challenging
By Steven Cuevas, KQED News (July 22, 2015)
Minimum Wage Hike Would Cut County’s ‘Safety Net’ Costs
By Hilda L. Solis, Eastern Group Publications/EGPNews (July 21, 2015)
Minimum Wage Combats Poverty and Benefits Our Economy
By Hilda L. Solis, Huffington Post (July 19,2015)
Raising L.A. County minimum wage good for workers, taxpayers
By Sheila Kuehl, Los Angeles Daily News (July 16, 2015)
Raising the Minimum Wage to $12 by 2020 Would Lift Wages for 35 Million American Workers
By David Cooper, Economic Policy Institute (July 14, 2015)
A new dawn for the minimum wage
By Don Lee, Los Angeles Times (June 1, 2015)
All You Need To Know About L.A.’s Record-Setting Wage Increase
By Rachel Brown, Refinery 29 (June 1, 2015)
On the minimum wage, the real issue isn’t inflation, but location Business
By Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times (May 26, 2015)
L.A. needs better than minimum-wage jobs
By the Editorial Board, Los Angeles Times (May 21, 2015)
L.A. firms see peril in tying minimum wage increases to inflation
By Tifanny Hsu and Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times (May 21, 2015)
LA’s New Minimum Wage Isn’t Worth Anywhere Close To $15
By Ben Casselman, FiveThirtyEight (May 20, 2015)
Los Angeles’ minimum wage on track to go up to $15 by 2020
By Peter Jamison, David Zahniser and Alice Walton, Los Angeles Times (May 19, 2015)
What you need to know about Los Angeles’ $15 minimum wage
By Alice Walton, Los Angeles Times (May 19, 2015)
Mayor Eric Garcetti concerned about paid time off in L.A. wage plan
By Emily Alpert Reyes, David Zahniser and Peter Jamison, Los Angeles Times (May 14, 2015)
Los Angeles minimum wage plan wins council panel’s backing: $15 by 2020
By Emily Alpert Reyes and David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times (May 14, 2015)
What minimum wage would be best for L.A.?
By the Editorial Board, Los Angeles Times (May 13, 2015)
Minimum Wage Debate Heats Up in Los Angeles
By Joel Fox, Public CEO (May 7, 2015)
Fast-Food Workers Deserve a Raise (OP-ED)
By Andrew M. Cuomo, New York Times (May 6, 2015)
In hiking the minimum wage, don’t leave tipped workers behind
By the Editorial Board, Los Angeles Times (May 3, 2015)
Los Angeles’ minimum-wage study should involve business owners
By Michael Saltsman, Los Angeles Daily News (April 6, 2015)
Report: LA Minimum Wage Increase Would Be ‘Economic Stimulus
By Nina Liss-Schultz, RH Reality Check (April 3, 2015)
A Higher Minimum Wage Could Pump $5.9 Billion Into LA’s Economy
By Michelle Chen, The Nation (April 1, 2015)
A City Divided: Will The Minimum Wage Hike Make or Break L.A.?
By Matt Lemas, Neon Tommy: Annenberg Digital News (March 31, 2015)
L.A. County supervisors vote 5-0 to study raising the minimum wage
By Abbey Sewell, Los Angeles Times (March 31, 2015)
Undocumented workers part of Los Angeles minimum wage debate
By Dakota Smith, Contra Costa Times (March 30, 2015)
LA City Council To Hold Hearing On Minimum Wage Hike Proposal
By CBSLA.com staff, KCBS2/KCAL9 News (March 26, 2015)
Report: Minimum Wage Hike Would Have More Benefits Than Drawbacks
By City News Service staff, City News Service,via Los Angeles Sentinel (March 26, 2015)
Should L.A. nonprofits get more time to hike minimum wages?
By Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times (March 24, 2015)
L.A. County supervisors poised to begin weighing minimum wage hike
By Abby Sewell, Los Angeles Times (March 23, 2015)
NBC4 News Conference with Conan Nolan (March 22, 2015)
- Economic Benefits of Raising the Minimum Wage in LA – Video interview with Daniel Flaming, Economic Roundtable.
- The Costs of Raising the Minimum Wage in LA – Video interview with Ruben Gonzalez, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.
Buscan elevar salario mínimo en Los Ángeles, California
By Notimex staff, El Horizonte (March 22, 2015)
Study Bolsters Proposal for Minimum Wage Hike in LA
By Paige Austin, Patch.com (March 21, 2015)
Minimum Wage in Los Angeles: Impact Study Shows Benefits of Higher Pay Outweigh Costs
By Cole Stangler, International Business Times (March 20, 2015)
Higher Minimum Wage Benefits Outweigh Drawbacks: Study
NBC4 Los Angeles – KNBC (March 20 2015)
Adequate Wages Needed to Create Truly Sustainable Communities
By Miguel Luna, Streetsblog Los Angeles (March 19, 2015)
Study: Raising L.A.’s minimum wage would benefit 600K workers
By Debbie Sklar, MyNewsLA.com (March 19, 2015)
Hiking Los Angeles minimum wage will do more good than bad, UC Berkeley study finds
City News Service (March 19, 2015)
City Study Backs Wage Hike; Biz, Labor Release Dueling Studies
By Howard Fine, Los Angeles Business Journal (March 19, 2015)
Debating dueling data on the effect of a minimum wage hike on the LA economy
By Larry Matle and staff, KPCC AirTalk (March 19 2015)
Three studies of L.A. minimum wage boosts reach different conclusions
By Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times (March 19, 2015)
Six L.A. council members seek to boost minimum wage to $15.25 an hour
By Soumya Karlamangla, David Zahniser and Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times (October 7, 2014)
Mayor Eric Garcetti calls for $13.25 minimum wage by 2017”
By James Rainey and Jean Merl, Los Angeles Times (September 1, 2014)
