On September 28, 2023, California’s Governor Newsom signed a new law in AB 1228 that will increase the minimum wage for fast-food restaurant workers to $20 per hour beginning on April 1, 2024!
The new law defines fast-food restaurant as any limited-service restaurant that is part of a national fast-food chain with more than 60 locations in the United States. This is a huge step towards fast-food workers earning a rate closer to a living wage. There is still more progress necessary to achieve an even higher minimum wage that equals the cost of living for fast-food workers, especially for those who are parents.
According to the Governor’s Office, there are currently approximately 500,000 fast-food workers California, and they had an average hourly pay rate of $16.21 in 2022.