DEAR EDITOR:

In regards to the Feb. 2 Experience editorial “Fast-food workers deserve a raise,” I think this is a fantastic outlook on the upcoming minimum wage increase. Although it is being raised to $20 for fast-food workers, many people have said “that’s that,” and it should be sufficient. While this certainly does help, it’s nowhere near enough to earn a livable wage plus basic amenities, especially in California.

This is even more prevalent in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area, where the average rent for an apartment is $3,600 a month. This is almost three times the national average, while groceries, healthcare, and transportation costs are 22-to-40% more than what the average American makes. More and more people can’t afford to move or live on their own and it isn’t a result of not working hard enough. I have friends who work at places like In-n-Out, which has a starting wage of $20.80 – as well as another part-time job – and they cannot even dream of moving out, never mind living comfortably, which is another issue.

People should be allowed to live comfortably with their jobs, and raising the minimum wage for fast food workers doesn’t contribute to that as much as some think. People are expected to keep up with the ever-rising inflation costs while keeping the same pay they had since 2013, which just isn’t possible. And this isn’t just for fast food or retail workers, or other jobs that are considered “less valid,” but every job should be paying more.

This has partially to do with the unemployment crisis currently taking place across the country, which is felt by millions of Americans. A friend of mine who graduated with a bachelor’s degree and multiple internships under his belt has been unable to find a job for a year and was recently denied a position at a fast-food restaurant despite their “urgent hiring.” As said in the editorial, solving this problem is simpler said than done but needs to be put higher on the list of priorities by our government.