San Francisco - $10 an Hour Minimum Wage(!)

Well, look at this news story: "San Francisco makes history by becoming the first city in the nation to scale a $10 minimum wage. The city's hourly wage for its lowest-paid workers will hit $10.24, more than $2 above the California minimum wage and nearly $3 more than the working wage set by the federal government."

Lately, I've been thinking about my high school days and comparing them with the sons and daughters of my friends. Back then, when the minimum wage was just $2.50 an hour, just about every one of us had a part-time job in high school, usually at a restaurant. But, as far as I know, none or very few of my friends' kids are getting jobs. School is too tough these days, they say. The schedules are very rigorous. Sure, having to work was a bit of a hassle and probably hurt our grades a bit, but what an honest introduction to real life. But, who's going to hire 16 year old kids for $10 an hour to wash dishes? Maybe the local community is just not looking to hire teenagers today as they were back in the 1970s.

Sure, it's nice to get a raise if you're making minimum wage, but the reality is that fewer jobs will probably be offered to make up for the fact that each individual must now make $10.24 an hour. Or hours will be cut. One personal example -- In my own home, there are a number of menial tasks for which it would be worthwhile to pay a small hourly wage to get someone else to do. But at $10 an hour, I'd just as soon do those jobs myself.