Employment Suicide in DC

Mark Perry points out that the results are pretty consistent now in all the jurisdiction that have adopted minimum wage employment-prevention legislation. The latest data is from Washington DC.




Now the same people who have adopted this employment suicide are angry that Walmart is downsizing their operations in DC.  But any semi-intelligent person (Yes, I understand this leaves out much of DC government) should have realized this would happen. Contrary to what Democrats wish, the primary objective is to earn a return on their shareholder's investment, not to provide jobs and benefits.


"Behind closed doors, Walmart officials were more frank about the reasons the company was downsizing. He said the company cited the District’s rising minimum wage, now at $11.50 an hour and possibly going to $15 an hour if a proposed ballot measure is successful in November. He also said a proposal for legislation requiring D.C. employers to pay into a fund for family and medical leave for employees, and another effort to require a minimum amount of hours for hourly workers were compounding costs and concerns for the retailer"

This the result of the District's perverse anti-employment policies is that there will be fewer jobs for the least skilled of DC residents and less access to low-price stores like Walmart.