Thousands of San Francisco workers are starting the new year with a raise. On Jan. 1 the city’s minimum wage will rise to $10.24 an hour. That’s the highest rate in the country and makes San Francisco the first place in the U.S. to mandate double-digit hourly wages for its lowest-paid workers.
Small businesses – led by the food-crazy town’s No. 1 industry, restaurants – warn that the high rate, combined with other costly city mandates, could force them to lay off workers.
“It makes these jobs so high-paying that they disappear,” said Daniel Scherotter, executive chef and owner of Palio D’Asti, an Italian restaurant in the downtown financial district. “It’s hurting the people it’s trying to help.”