NYTimes praises Seattle's race to $15 per hour while ignoring an important fact.

NY Times :   In attempting to assess the effects of the increase, the Seattle study excluded workers at businesses that also have locations outside the city, including chains and franchises like Starbucks and McDonald’s. The intent was to isolate the impact on Seattle employers, independent of outside business concerns. But the consequence was to overlook — and most likely underestimate — the experiences of employers who can best afford the raises. Similarly, the study blames the minimum wage increase for a decline in low-wage work in Seattle, when a likely cause is the city’s strong economy in which competition, not the minimum wage, bids up pay.

Editor:  "They" want you to believe that a  substantive review of wage policy is a complicated affair,  when, in fact,  the passage of time weeds out all complications.  

Example:  We have these numbers from the Department of Labor:  as reported by outside sources:  

In 1979, 13% of US wage workers received minimum wage (around 15.5 million folks). In 2012, that number had dropped to 5% or about 6 million.  And revised numbers for 2013,  give us 3.5 million folks on minimum wage.  

As I said,  the passage of time gives us the truth:  And,  the truth is this  -  raising the minimum wage without increasing the efficiency of the beginner labor force,  means jobs are lost   . . . .   by the millions.  If you are not working,  you are not benefited by a minimum wage,  and 12 million entry level workers no longer make a minimum wage,  or,  hold a job for that matter.  

Specifically,  in Seattle,  while the economy is doing well,  at the entry level,   the workforce,  5,000 jobs have been lost since wages started increasing.  

Understand that in 1975,  the minimum wage earner stayed at that level of pay for one year,  on average.  That is not the case, today. 

The high minimum wage  ($15 per hour is 32,000 a year !!  for flipping burgers) means that small businesses can no longer afford to train entry level worker,  especially if they are lazy but demanding.  

Now you know,  but do not forget:  5,000 fewer jobs for entry level workers,  in Seattle.  And the Times thinks this is progress.  Good grief.