The $15 minimum wage has been in effect in SeaTac, Washington for almost two months and there has been little evidence of the large-scale disruptions some groups predicted. The largest change has not been mass layoffs, closings, nor employees joining unions en masse, but rather an influx of job applicants seeking higher wages. Employers are seeking new efficiencies from their workforces, but only the restaurant in the Clarion Hotel has closed its doors. Most employees interviewed are happier on the job and pleased with the extra money to spend or save. It is unlikely that jobs, even those as simple as cashiering, will be replaced by automation, except on a small scale. The wage law includes mostly hospitality industry employers.
See "$15 wage floor slowly takes hold in SeaTac", Amy Martinez, The Seattle Times, February 13, 2014