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Bakersfield businesses worried about impact of California minimum wage hike

Posted at 7:11 PM, Dec 29, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-29 22:16:05-05

California’s minimum wage is increasing on Sunday and local businesses like Café Med in Southwest Bakersfield are worried about the potential impacts.

Earlier in 2016 Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill raising California’s minimum hourly minimum wage to $10.50 an hour, up from the current $10 per hour.

"I think people forgot that minimum or those entry level jobs are for high school kids or for people going to college. It's really not meant to be a living wage," Café Med owner Meir Brown said.

Brown said the change will impact all employees, not just those earning the minimum wage.

"When you push entry level pay then you push up every other pay. The guy that was making 12 now wants to get 13 and so forth,” Brown said.

By 2022, the minimum wage will reach $15 an hour.