1,200 Pizza Hut Drivers Among First Victims of California’s $20 Minimum Wage Folly
16th January 2024
My foray into the workforce was a minimum-wage job making pizzas and washing dishes at Pizza Hut.
The money I earned supported my spending as a new driver and taught me how to budget and save for the future. And the experience I gained—everything from teamwork to customer service to safety standards—has stuck with me throughout my career.
If I were growing up in California today, though, that same job opportunity probably wouldn’t exist.
As a 16-year-old without experience, I couldn’t produce $20 per hour of value for Pizza Hut—or probably any company. But $20 per hour is where Assembly Bill 1228 in California sets the bar for fast-food workers. After factoring in mandatory employment taxes, that comes out to more than $48,000 per year for a full-time employee.