Research & Practice
Seattle’s Minimum Wage Ordinance Did Not Affect Supermarket Food Prices by Processing Category
Effective April 1, 2015, the city of Seattle enacted its multi-step $15 Minimum Wage Ordinance (MWO) to incrementally increase worker minimum wages to $15/hour between 2017-2021, depending on the size of the employer and whether they offer medical benefits. Many municipalities in the United States are implementing similar policy measures in an attempt to address income inequality and to provide low-income workers with a living wage.
One counter argument to raising minimum wages is grounded in the concern that while increased labor wages may benefit low-wage workers, the increase in labor wages will be offset by higher prices of basic consumer goods, particularly food, thus burdening the very workers the policy is intended to help. Food prices are of particular concern because the food system represents the largest employer of minimum wage workers, with nearly one-third of all low-wage workers employed in the food system. In particular, highly processed foods might be expected to experience greater increases in price than less processed foods based on the assumption that they must pass through more steps in the food system, and thus involve more low-wage workers.
The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of Seattle’s minimum wage ordinance on food prices by food processing category.
Materials Available
Project Type(s): Master's Thesis
Author(s): Amanda Spoden
Program(s): Master of Public Health, RDN Training
Year: 2017
Adviser(s):