The L.A. Times on how the demand for labor hours is a downward sloping curve:
Child-care assistant Eunice Medina, 23, was thrilled when Oakland's minimum wage took effect in March. But almost as quickly, Medina's workdays were cut and her hours shaved from eight to six.
Her employer, Asiya Jabbaar, says she had no choice. Despite slicing hours and laying off one of three assistants, Jabbaar says she still may need to close her business next year and convert it to a part-time after-school program.
It's a big letdown for the 38-year-old Jabbaar, who launched Reaching Beyond Care in 2010 from her East Oakland loft apartment.
Her experience illustrates what can happen to small employers when minimum wages jump suddenly. The effect on licensed or government-regulated entities, such as Jabbaar's, can be particularly sharp.
No politician can eliminate the picture down below. No matter how they try.
