California’s fast food minimum wage law, which imposed severe cost increases on small businesses and created a useless regulatory body, was misguided from the beginning and continues to cause harm for Californians. The law has been shown to have a very muted effect on the workers it purports to help because, while raising wages, it has led to reduced hours, job losses and automation.

California's fast-food minimum wage hike to $20 resulted in job losses, higher prices, and reduced worker hours, a University of California, Santa Cruz study suggests.