January 12, 2024

Bad Policy Has Caused a “Dining Disaster” in the District of Columbia

Marking the anniversary of ill-fated Initiative 82 in Washington, D.C. at the end of 2023 were serious consequences: lost restaurant jobs, lost tip earnings for restaurants’ servers and bartenders, and even a wave of beloved neighborhood restaurant closures. In the Wall Street Journal, EPI’s Michael Saltsman and Rebekah Paxton write about the…
Hawaii January 5, 2024

Yes, Hawaii Does Have A Tip Credit, and It Needs Protecting

In 2022, lawmakers in Hawaii approved a bill to put Hawaii’s minimum wage higher than any other state in the country: to reach $18 per hour by 2028. The state also has a minimal tip credit allowance for restaurant employers to count $1.25 in tips toward the higher minimum wage…
December 29, 2023

Minimum Wage Hikes Are Leaving Casualties in their Wake

Decades of economic research has documented how minimum wage hikes cause employment loss and business closures. In a year with a record number of wage hikes and historic inflationary increases, 2023 has seen mass business casualties, particularly for the restaurant industry, as a result of the activism for higher wage…
December 22, 2023

Nonpartisan CBO Finds Bernie’s $17 Minimum Wage Is a Bad Deal for Workers

Earlier this year, Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced a bill to raise the federal minimum wage up to $17 per hour and eliminate the tip credit, a hike of more than 134 percent. This week, the Congressional Budget Office released a review of the economic impacts of Sanders’ proposal, detailing the…
December 15, 2023

Rising Minimum Wages Meets Rising Restaurant Inflation

The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that in November, the price of dining out increased three times more than the price of eating at home. As states and cities across the nation brace to raise minimum wages in the New Year, elected officials should be wary of the impacts…
December 8, 2023

The New Year Brings EPI’s 2024 Minimum Wage Update Report

As the year draws to a close, states and local areas are preparing for a wave of minimum wage hikes beginning January 1. This year, 91 jurisdictions will raise minimum wages, including in 26 states, 64 cities and counties, and Puerto Rico. As more areas are enacting minimum wage increases…
New York December 1, 2023

New York Should Save What’s Left of Its Tip Credit

In recent years, New York’s decision to slash its tip credit and increase its tipped minimum wage requirement has wreaked havoc on the restaurant industry. Data already shows that even before the onset of the pandemic, downsizing the tip credit has killed New York full-service restaurant jobs and stunted…
November 17, 2023

The Year is Almost Over, But Minimum Wage Proposals Are Still Alive and Well

After a flurry of proposals on minimum wage hikes and tip credit elimination at the local, state, and federal levels this year, union activists aren’t done yet. Campaigns led by tipped employees to save tip credits prevailed this year in Maryland (and local Prince George’s County), Rhode Island, Connecticut, and…
November 10, 2023

The (Not So) Happy Anniversary of Initiative 82 in DC

November 8 marked the one-year anniversary of District of Columbia voters passing Initiative 82, a ballot measure to eliminate the city’s tip credit. Ever since its passage, the actual implementation of the measure has been plagued by procedural delays and overwhelming concerns from restaurants, employees, and diners alike…
November 3, 2023

One Fair Wage Grants Barely Cover One Employee’s Wages for Three Months

One Fair Wage, the union-funded group pushing states and cities around the country to eliminate their tip credits, often touts to lawmakers and media that switching to a flat minimum wage won’t cost anything. With sights set on Ohio as its next target, One Fair Wage has brought the…