The city of Seattle is expected to increase its minimum wage to an eye-popping $22.14 per hour in 2027. The city began requiring the same minimum wage in 2025 for employers and small businesses, with annual adjustments for inflation. Fox News reported that several Seattle restaurant owners who have since closed their businesses cited the increased labor costs as a primary reason for leaving.
During the first half of 2025, shortly after the wage hike requirement went into effect, 450 Seattle restaurants — around 16 percent of the city’s total — closed, Fox News said. Restaurant and retail transactions fell by as much as 7 percent over the prior year...
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