As it stands, the minimum wage will be raised to $10.50 in July of 2016 and continue to increase every year until landing at $15 in 2020.
Los Angeles currently has the largest disparity between wages and rent in the country, with 57.3% — or 4.6 million residents — unable to afford living in the city. As of 2015, 67% of children living in Los Angeles are living below the basic budget threshold. Some estimates claim that 40% of the work force is currently making less than $15 an hour.
Critics of the increase have argued that businesses in the city will be forced to move to nearby areas outside of the city limits to avoid paying their employees more money. They also claim that businesses will be forced to lay off employees.
Supporters argue that this could set off a wave of increases across the entire region, perhaps even the entire nation.
Seattle and San Francisco have both passed measures to raise the minimum to $15, and New York and Chicago are considering following suit.
