Hey, what is happening with all these McDonald’s jobs? 50,000 — how can that be?
Just a few years ago, economists were warning that the rising minimum wage, particularly here in Michigan, would destroy entry-level employment. Fast-food jobs would start disappearing and restaurant prices would be forced to rise, which would reduce the number of customers and further reduce the number of workers.
The $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage was counterproductive, they said, and the $7.40 minimum in a struggling state like Michigan was a big mistake.
Well, those egghead economists were sure way off the mark, weren’t they? Not only is Micky-D’s adding 50,000 jobs nationwide, a healthy portion – 2,200 – are being generated in Michigan. And many of these jobs will pay above the minimum wage.
I know that a bunch of burger-flipping jobs is nothing to celebrate. But in the black community, where unemployment among teens and young adults is rampant, this McDonald’s expansion can truly have an impact.
Plus, some of these jobs carry management responsibilities, as well as fringe benefits, scholarship opportunities and the potential for job promotions. The company is providing all of this despite those pesky, burdensome $300-a-week paychecks that come with each new position.
By the way, a young married couple in Michigan who must settle for part-time, minimum wage work will earn $15,392 a year, just above the federal poverty level for a two-person household.
