EPI placed a full-page ad in the Kansas City Edition of USA Today warning residents about the potential ramifications of raising the city’s minimum wage by 96% to $15 an hour.
The ad implies that a $15 minimum wage would lead Kansas City to be known as much for its lost jobs as it is for its famous barbecue and fountains.
While Kansas City isn’t the first city to consider a wage hike to $15 an hour, its City Council should take note of the consequences that small businesses in Oakland, San Francisco, and Seattle are enduring from similar mandates. These include layoffs, reduced hours, and even closure.
Our recently launched site, Facesof15.com, has been tracking these and other stories of how dramatic wage increases are negatively impacting small businesses. It’s a club that Kansas City should not want to join.