Californians voted against Proposition 32, which would have raised the minimum wage in the state from $16 to $18 per hour on Tuesday.
The proposition did not pass, with 52% voting “NO,” meaning the minimum wage will likely increase with inflation, but not immediately increase to $18 in 2025. More than 4.5 million voted in favor of it.
USC students, many of whom work minimum wage jobs, had mixed reactions to the result and whether wages should have been raised.
Izabel Sharp, a freshman global health major, said she is “all for” raising the wage, but the proposition leaves her wondering about the expendable costs at play.
“I want to know what could the money be going towards instead,” Sharp said.
Rudy Rodriguez, a sophomore business and cinematic arts major, said he greeted the result with mixed emotions.
“It’s hard in this day and age with the economy for people to live off of minimum wage,” Rodriguez said. “But I also feel like an increase would only further increase inflation.”
Some of the possible effects of this proposition include the possibility of an increase in product prices to compensate for the higher wages. The proposition is similar to a ballot measure that passed earlier this year, which allowed the state to increase the minimum wage at fast food restaurants to $20.
However, some USC students, who voted in favor of Prop. 32, said they were disappointed with the results.
Lucas Iovine, a junior business administration major, said he thinks minimum wage should be higher, “especially with the cost of living here.”
“I remember my first job was minimum wage, that money is nothing here,” Iovine said. “You can’t afford rent, so you’re gonna need to have at least two jobs or something supplemental on the side. It definitely has to go up.”
Along with fast food workers, healthcare employees saw an increase in minimum wage to $25, as a part of the Senate Bill 525, which came into effect on October 16. It’s unclear what, if any, effects the increase has had on the price of healthcare services.
Alondra Sevilla, a fifth-year student studying psychology, said she was “surprised minimum wage is even as low as it is now.”
“As a college student, I’ve had three jobs, and minimum wage should definitely be higher,” Sevilla said.
USC students have to battle the cost of living in Los Angeles, which is 51% higher than the national average. The climbing costs leave students who depend on work-study or other minimum-wage jobs in a difficult position, trying to live off of ground-based pay.
Some of the lower minimum wages are in states like Alabama, Mississippi and Iowa, among others, coming in at $7.25. These states also have some of the lowest costs of living.
Henryk Golden, a first-year doctoral student studying music composition, said the failure of the measure was “disappointing, but not surprising.”
“It’s just a bad business model if they can’t afford to pay people properly so that they can live,” he said. “It’s not good for students.”
“Increasing minimum wage is a possible solution,” Rodriguez said. “But it’s very short term, there has to be better solutions to fix inflation.”