Part 2/12:
Since the implementation of Assembly Bill 1228 in April 2024, which mandated a $20 minimum wage for fast food workers, the industry has faced a brutal reality check. Over a span of approximately a year and a half, more than 19,000 fast food jobs have disappeared in California alone. This carve-out of employment, accounting for more than 25% of all fast food jobs in the United States, illustrates how rigid wage mandates can destabilize a previously thriving sector.