With all of the recent noise and dust settling from the recent Presidential election, the $15/hr minimum wage subject has taken a bit of a move to the back seat. While this ongoing issue sounds wonderful for those working in entry level jobs and for those about to enter the workforce there are other issues.
The notion that you will be paid $15/hr for an entry level position is a wild dream, and not based on any sort of reality. Entry level positions in the fast food industry are simply that. Entry level, for those who haven't the experience or background to perform any other tasks for an employer.
Here in Wisconsin, the current minimum wage is $7.25/hr. Moving that to more than twice the current minimum wage is a burden on the business. Employees don't often think or have the larger picture of the business to realize what a more than doubling of wages do to a business. Costs across the board rise and profits decline. Not to mention that should all business's be required to offer the $15/hr wage, costs across the board for necessities will also rise. You might be earning $15/hr and yet the costs of everything you purchase has also risen.
How do businesses control costs while remaining viable? Reducing overhead is a great start and one of the growing ways to do this is automation. Fast food giant McDonalds is considering just that.
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McDonald’s Response to $15 Minimum Wage: Automation in Every Store
Now before you get all excited about a pending new $15/hr wage and the resulting paycheck, take a moment to ponder the consequences.