Seattle’s minimum wage is scheduled to rise to $22.14 per hour in 2027, according to multiple outlets. The increases are tied to the city’s regular inflation adjustments under its existing minimum-wage policy.
Several reports link the higher labor costs with recent business closures in Seattle. Fox News and the New York Post say that early in 2025, 450 restaurants closed, and that job postings declined by about 35% compared with February 2020, citing the broader impact of rising costs. Breitbart also says some restaurant owners who have since left the market point to increased labor expenses as a key factor.
While all outlets discuss the same wage figure and the claim that closures follow higher labor costs, they differ mainly in emphasis. Fox highlights additional employment and job-posting figures, the New York Post focuses on closures tied to labor costs, and Breitbart frames the development as another increase in the city’s minimum wage requirement.
