DC considers living wage requirement

Earlier this month the city council of the District of Columbia passed the "Large Retailer Accountability Act," which would require retail corporations with annual sales of $1b or more that have stores with 75k or more square feet to pay $12.50 per hour.  The minimum wage in DC is $8.50, so this amounts to almost a 50% increase. 

This is carefully crafted legislation, the Economist notes.  There are very few big box stores in the District, and those that are present (Giant Foods, Safeway) are unionized.  The law does not apply to existing stores for four years.  "That leaves only Walmart, which had planned to open six new stores in the District."

Walmart's reaction: no surprise, plans for three stores have been trashed and the other three are on the ropes.  Whatever your opinion of Walmart, the net impact will be fewer jobs in DC and a chance for DC residents to take advantage of Walmart's lower prices without going to Maryland or Virginia.  Further proof that demand curves slope downward -- making labor more expensive means fewer jobs.