Workers saw wages go up, more jobs were added and more businesses were added in Seattle
A research team at the University of Washington has found that the Seattle minimum wage increase continues to have a positive impact on workers, and businesses are thriving.
The report, which was commissioned by the City of Seattle and will be presented to the Seattle City Council on Monday, looked at wages, hours, employment and business levels in Seattle and compared the data to other regions of the state.
Some key findings in the report:
Wages for all hourly Seattle employees went up, not only for low-wage workers, which demonstrates that when we raise the wage for our lowest-paid workers, everyone does better.
Quarterly earnings went up for workers and families at low-wage jobs, meaning more money in their pockets every week.
Overall employment for workers earning less than $11 increased.
Seattle businesses with a large portion (more than 40 percent) of low-wage workers added jobs.
The number of hours worked by low-wage workers increased.
Seattle continued to add new businesses.
The report confirms why Initiative 1433, which will raise the statewide minimum wage to $13.50 over four years and allow all workers to earn paid sick and safe leave, is good for workers, families and business across Washington.
“Good news — workers in communities across Seattle are doing better and businesses continue to open their doors month-after-month,” said Carlo Caldirola-Davis, campaign manager for Raise Up Washington. “Seattle continues to show that raising the minimum wage is both a smart economic policy and the right thing to do for working families. This November, voters across our state will have the opportunity to make the same decision to boost their local economies.”
After Initiative 1433 fully phases in by 2020, minimum wage workers in Washington will have an additional $600 in their pockets every month, which will add more than $2.5 billion to the economy every year.
“This new analysis affirms what we have seen in the research from other geographic areas – the Seattle minimum wage increase has had a positive impact for workers and for the economy,” said Misha Werschkul, executive director for the Washington State Budget & Policy Center. “Just in the first part of the phase-in, a low-wage worker gained nearly $700 more per year in wages. This money is now directly helping grow our local economy, and helping families make ends meet.”
The UW’s report continues to invalidate scare tactics from opponents, who claim that the minimum wage hurts job growth. Seattle’s success mirrors national statistics — according the the U.S. Department of Labor, states that raised their minimum wages in January 2014 saw faster job growth than state that left their wages stagnant.
Last Friday, the Washington Secretary of State’s office announced that Initiative 1433 is the first initiative to qualify for the November ballot. The Raise Up Washington coalition turned in enough valid signatures that “easily exceeded” the number required to qualify, according to the secretary’s office.
