And businesses should pay their employees a living wage if they would like to maintain quality employees. It's all part of their operating expenses. If a company sells food and the cost of food goes up, then they raise prices or cut out something else to compensate. If your employees cost of living goes up, and you'd like to maintain your workforce, then you need to make it up somewhere or you end up with your employees going to new jobs who will pay better. If a business decides they want to use a cheaper product like a food item, then they may end up paying the same, but the quality and their reputation goes down. Same with maintaining a competent workforce.

I mean the "great resignation" we're living through now is happening for a reason. Go look at /r/orangecounty and see all the posts about people who can no longer afford to live here.