$15 minimum wage in Seattle (SeaTac: 2014, employment, place to live)

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by jm31828

Thanks for the clarification, I wasn't aware that the impact was that relatively minor. I will say, though, that most companies will not just absorb the cost- they want as much profit as possible and will likely pass any increase at all on to the customers. So even if it is only a 10% or 20% increase in costs at fast food restaurants or even at other types of stores, those increases will get passed on to all of us- those of us not getting raises due to already being above $15/hour will be paying for it.

It's easy to do the math. The average small business owner makes only $36,000. For any mom & pop with 3 employees, going from $9.32 to $15 means $2,726/month. That will often be more than the profit that the owner takes home to live on and put them out of business, especially if they are just starting out. Who wants to pay their employees almost as much as they are making? Most will lay off people, and work longer hours themselves until their lease is up, and then move to another city. Either that or close up and go to work for minimum wage in Seattle. I know, I had one for 16 years, and paid over minimum but had to work a lot of evenings and weekends to be able to pay them and still make a living.

[scottinpdx]

Will employees making $15 a hour currently get a fat raise? I think this is huge disaster for Seattle. But it's a reflection of society these days. Instead of working hard and moving up in the world, It's hands out and gimmie gimmie gimmie. This will really hit small business hard and prices will go up all over Seattle.

[bad apples]

A lot of those small business owners you folks are so fond of are just as guilty as big business. All business has stood by knowing that they increased their net profits while employees made the same amount or less than what their pay should have been adjusted to when the companies saw huge profits. Capitalism works if you actually spread some of the money around instead of keeping it all for yourselves.

[dalmain]

Seattle is a beautiful place, but the politics there is horrible.

[scottinpdx]

Originally Posted by dalmain

Seattle is a beautiful place, but the politics there is horrible.

I agree, I love Seattle just not the politics!

[GoBlueInSeattle]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

It's easy to do the math. The average small business owner makes only $36,000. For any mom & pop with 3 employees, going from $9.32 to $15 means $2,726/month. That will often be more than the profit that the owner takes home to live on and put them out of business, especially if they are just starting out. Who wants to pay their employees almost as much as they are making? Most will lay off people, and work longer hours themselves until their lease is up, and then move to another city. Either that or close up and go to work for minimum wage in Seattle. I know, I had one for 16 years, and paid over minimum but had to work a lot of evenings and weekends to be able to pay them and still make a living.

Where are you getting your data re: average small biz owners making $36k a year?

[krieger00]

Originally Posted by GoBlueInSeattle

Where are you getting your data re: average small biz owners making $36k a year?

that is a loaded question with an very complex answer IMO .BTW Small busness owners are not in it to make you or anyone rich but them self's.

[Hemlock140]

Your data is from a company that makes their money by selling their services and books to small businesses. It's also showing household income not profit from the business. Consider the typical $200k tech manager who buys his wife a business to run for fun. My data is on income from the business only, and came from U.S. Census data for businesses owned by married couples. I was talking about the Mom & Pop, defined as small, independent, and family-owned.The real Small Business.

For the typical definitions for the purpose of tax and other benefits a small business can be as many as 100 or 500 employees, depending on who you ask. Those are not really small to me. Even so, a study by American Express showed that the small business owner made an average salary of $68,000 and that nearly 15 percent of small business owners need to work a second job while running their business in order to make ends meet. For the Mom & Pop it's about half that.

[krieger00]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

Your data is from a company that makes their money by selling their services and books to small businesses. It's also showing household income not profit from the business. Consider the typical $200k tech manager who buys his wife a business to run for fun. My data is on income from the business only, and came from U.S. Census data for businesses owned by married couples. I was talking about the Mom & Pop, defined as small, independent, and family-owned.The real Small Business.

For the typical definitions for the purpose of tax and other benefits a small business can be as many as 100 or 500 employees, depending on who you ask. Those are not really small to me. Even so, a study by American Express showed that the small business owner made an average salary of $68,000 and that nearly 15 percent of small business owners need to work a second job while running their business in order to make ends meet. For the Mom & Pop it's about half that.

That is all I could find when i searched but i did search very hard.

[kreebby]

Originally Posted by scottinpdx

Will employees making $15 a hour currently get a fat raise? I think this is huge disaster for Seattle. But it's a reflection of society these days. Instead of working hard and moving up in the world, It's hands out and gimmie gimmie gimmie. This will really hit small business hard and prices will go up all over Seattle.

I agree. Businesses really do seem to want hand-outs! Gimme gimme gimme employees with great resumes but I don't want to pay them enough to even afford an apartment!