‘They can’t afford to keep the ones that they have’: Jake and Spike clash over Seattle’s $22 minimum wage

KIRO host Jake Skorheim argued the problem facing Seattle small businesses isn’t finding workers.

“It’s not because they can’t find the employees,” Jake said on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “They can’t afford to keep the ones that they have.”

Seattle’s minimum wage will rise from $21.30 to $22.14 an hour on Jan. 1, 2027, according to the Seattle Office of Labor Standards. The increase is tied to inflation and applies to all employers, no matter how big or small. The statewide minimum wage will be $17.73 an hour in 2027.

The debate comes after a business climate survey from the Seattle Metro Chamber and the Downtown Seattle Association found 47% of business owners have “seriously considered” moving operations, jobs, or investment out of Seattle in the past year. Respondents pointed to public safety, taxes and fees, and labor costs as the reasons.

The mayor’s difficult position

The argument started with how Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson answered a question about what she’s doing for small business owners. KIRO host Spike O’Neill described her as essentially reframing the question around workers.

“What she’s saying essentially is, ‘I’m going to make sure that you have a workforce that can afford to live and work for you,'” Spike said, paraphrasing the mayor. “That you don’t find a drought of potential employees because nobody can afford to live in the city.”

Jake countered that’s not what business owners are telling anyone.

“Because the costs are too expensive, because the city requires a minimum wage that is more than that person’s work,” Jake responded.

Spike wasn’t disagreeing. He was explaining the mayor’s position, noting that she’s responsible for more than just business owners.

“She’s also got responsibility to the citizens of Seattle who want to earn a living, that they can work and live in Seattle,” Spike said. “She’s got to serve two masters in this.”

Missing the bigger picture

“What she needs to serve is the overall public good,” Jake countered. “Is the overall public good going to be better when you have no businesses to employ the low-wage workers that she says need $22-plus an hour?”

Spike flipped the question back on him.

“Is the overall business of a city going to be better served if no one can afford to live here?” Spike asked.

Jake insisted the companies that are struggling aren’t the ones posting help-wanted signs.

“The reason those 47% of the businesses are thinking about relocating, leaving Seattle or driving across the bridge into Bellevue, it’s not because they can’t find the employees,” Jake said.

At least one downtown owner said much the same. Jamila Conley, who owns WeRise Wine Bar, told KIRO 7 she understands the appeal of moving east.

“You travel five miles over the water and your minimum wage drops, your insurance drops, your taxes drop,” Conley said. “I am Seattle ride or die, but it sure does look appealing.”

Considering a move isn’t the same as making one, though. Only 9% of business owners who answered that question said they expect to relocate outside Seattle in the next 12 months, according to the survey.

Why stay?

Jake then turned the question to Spike’s own life.

“Can you afford to live in Seattle?” Jake asked.

“Yeah,” Spike answered.

“Do you live in Seattle?”

“No,” Spike responded. “I chose not to. I chose to have more space for what my dollar would get me. My dollar goes further out in the county.”

To Jake, that proved his point.

“All of your life is a little bit more affordable out there,” Jake said. “And you’ve made the choice to live out there.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3