Report: Bernie’s Minimum Wage Bill Would Eliminate 1.7M Jobs, Devastate Restaurants

Vermont Senator’s ‍Proposal: A‌ Threat ⁣to Jobs and Restaurants

Socialist Vermont senator Bernie Sanders’s proposal to raise the minimum wage to $17 an ‍hour and eliminate the federal tip ⁣credit would have devastating consequences, according to a new report.

The Employment Policies Institute conducted a study in July, which revealed that Sanders’s wage hike plan would result in over 1.2 million lost jobs ​nationwide. ‍Additionally, the elimination ⁤of the tip credit would⁢ lead to another 447,000 ​job losses. Shockingly, 40 ​percent of these ‌job losses⁣ would affect workers in the hospitality industry, while 62 percent of the ⁣predicted lost jobs are held by women.

This ‍proposal comes at a time ⁢when restaurants and ⁤bars are struggling to recover from pandemic-related closures and soaring food costs. The closure of tens of thousands of eateries ​across ⁣the country has already been witnessed. Many restaurant⁢ owners argue that eliminating the tip credit would only exacerbate the chaos. In⁤ fact, a recent survey conducted by​ the ⁣Employment Policies Institute found that 85 percent⁢ of Washington, D.C., restaurant owners believe this​ policy would force‌ them to ​lay off workers.

Sanders, however, wants the entire United States ⁤to follow the lead of D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser, who recently unveiled a $17 minimum wage. But for Rebekah Paxton, the research director at the Employment Policies Institute, such a move​ would be ​disastrous for local businesses.

“This bill is a recycled version of​ Sanders’s ⁢ill-conceived​ $15 wage​ proposal, which was shot down by a bipartisan group of senators in 2021,” Paxton stated. “Nobody should support this proposal that only‌ stands to hurt‌ businesses ‍and their employees.”

Sanders’s⁢ office ‌has not ⁤responded to questions regarding the potential job losses ⁣resulting from this ⁢proposal. However, Sanders has previously warned his fellow senators of “political⁤ consequences” if⁣ they do‍ not⁢ support‍ a minimum wage⁣ increase. It⁤ is worth noting that ‍in 2021, eight Senate Democrats opposed Sanders’s bill to raise ⁣the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Furthermore, California recently revived a commission that allows the state to set wage hikes in certain ​industries. Critics argue that this power will be used to enforce ​unsustainable minimum wage increases, potentially harming ‌small business franchises across the state.

“To put it bluntly, this commission ‍could micromanage the operations ⁣of⁣ every small business franchise in California,” said Republican state legislator⁣ Vince Fong.