Upsides and downsides attached to minimum wage hikes

The minimum wage in Fresno, CA, is $14 an hour. The rate will rise to $15 next year as part of a 2016 state law that gradually increased the minimum for workers. The result has been that minimum wage workers have seen their quality of life improve. It has also meant, however, that retailers, restaurants and other companies have had to raise prices and keep a tight lid on the numbers of workers they employ. This includes some that have had to lay off employees to make their top and bottom line numbers work.