Golden State Today

According to new state and federal employment data, California’s fast food industry has added jobs every month this year, including roughly 10,600 new jobs in the two months since Governor Gavin Newsom signed the fast food minimum wage bill into law.

Below is a breakdown of the data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which shows that the state has added roughly 20,700 fast food jobs since the beginning of this year and each month had more jobs than at this time last year:

January 2024: 724,900

January 2023: 715,000

February 2024: 732,700

February 2023: 725,100

March 2024: 735,000

March 2023: 730,900

April 2024: 739,500

April 2023: 734,400

May 2024: 745,600

May 2023: 742,600

In his State of the State address, Governor Newsom emphasized the importance of building an economy for all Californians. He stated:

“We built this economy by valuing the dignity of work, cherishing family time, and honoring labor unions. You shouldn’t have to be a CEO to live a decent life – and in California, you don’t have to be.

“The California spirit means working hard and being rewarded with a paycheck that meets your needs. All our progress on higher wages and better benefits for working people – it’s not just about the hourly pay rate. It’s about building a dignified and respectful future where everyone is included in our growth. We are a state that gives a damn about fast food workers – who are predominantly women – working two and a half jobs to get by. Because of the leadership of California’s Legislature, these hard workers finally got the raise and job security they deserved. And the companies themselves got a more stable workforce.”

In September of last year, Governor Newsom signed legislation to increase the minimum wage for California’s more than 500,000 fast-food workers to $20 per hour. It also created the Fast Food Council where workers will have a stronger say in setting minimum wages and working conditions, including health and safety standards.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg commented on these developments:

“Mattis molestie a iaculis at. Sociis natoque penatibus et magnis. Vitae semper quis lectus nulla at volutpat diam. Tellus orci ac auctor augue mauris augue neque gravida in. Aliquet risus feugiat in ante metus dictum. Vulputate sapien nec sagittis aliquam malesuada bibendum. Fusce id velit ut tortor pretium viverra.“

Senator Susan Eggman (D-Stockton), author of Senate Bill 326 said:

“Eu nisl nunc mi ipsum faucibus vitae aliquet. Consectetur libero id faucibus nisl tincidunt eget nullam non nisi. Commodo ullamcorper a lacus vestibulum sed arcu. Nunc sed augue lacus viverra vitae congue eu consequat. Bibendum ut tristique et egestas.”

Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), author of Assembly Bill 531 added:

“Ullamcorper dignissim cras tincidunt lobortis feugiat vivamus at augue. Euismod lacinia at quis risus sed vulputate. Ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer enim neque volutpat ac tincidunt.”

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