Report California has been at the vanguard of progressive and innovative protections for fast food workers. Alongside establishing a first-in-the nation Fast Food Council, the state raised the minimum wage for California fast food workers to $20/hour effective April 1, 2024. The $20 minimum wage represents a $4 increase, making it the largest minimum wage increase in recent U.S. history. This brief draws on Shift Project survey data collected from 3,420 fast food workers in California, and comparison samples of 6,194 retail workers in California and 14,416 fast food and retail workers in other Western states. By comparing California fast...