There used to be a time when you could argue against a minimum wage hike from $7.25 to $9 or $10 by rhetorically asking “if that’s so great, why not $15 an hour, $20 an hour, or $50 an hour?” The aim of the question was to lead the minimum wage advocate down a chain of thought where they’d understand there’s a level after which minimum wage increases become harmful.
Nowadays, it seems like every liberal has heard the question, and then said to themselves, “great idea!” Within only a few years, the concept of a $15 minimum wage has changed from the subject of mockery to be part of the Democrat Party’s official platform. Progressive Seattle was the first to sign legislation enacting a $15 minimum wage, and, while it hasn’t even fully been ratcheted up to a full $15, it’s already having devastating effects.
One study published last year (as Seattle’s min wage stood at $13, but now stands at $15 as of January 1st, 2018) found that the low-income workers the minimum wage advocates were trying to help have actually seen their income reduced at an annual rate of $1,500. The report indicated that “total payroll fell for (low-wage) jobs, implying that the minimum wage ordinance lowered low-wage employees’ earnings by an average of $125 per month in 2016.”
Accelerating automation is another consequence of minimum wage increases – so it’s no surprise that Amazon’s first cashier-free retail store will be setting up shop in Seattle.
According to the Independent Women’s Forum,
Amazon opened the nation’s first register-free, cashier-free, and cash-free store. The retailer is pushing the boundaries of retail by expanding the concept of grab-and-go and customers are excited. An underlying story though is what this innovation means for the future of the retail workforce.
Amazon opened this concept convenience store to the public in Seattle, Washington, where it is headquartered.
Customers with a smartphone and bank card can shop freely as sensors, computer vision, algorithms, and other technology track what they take off shelves and charges them when they exit. You never have to take your wallet out or join a checkout line.
If cashier-free technology spreads throughout the grocery industry, which is likely, we may see more sweeping changes to the retail industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 3.5 million cashier jobs and the median pay is $9.70 per hour. Seattle, where Amazon Go was launched, was the first city to increase the state minimum wage to $15 per hour in 2014 and numerous cities have followed.
Watch the surreal experience below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvuvxLzUB-w
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