(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
BY LAUREN ZIMA
As of January 1st, San Francisco will be the first US city to have a minimum wage that tops more than $10 an hour. Here’s Fox News with the numbers.
“$10.24 an hour. That is well above the California minimum of $8, and nearly $3 an hour higher than the Federal figure, which is $7.25.”
And KNTV explains the history of San Fran’s wage laws.
“Right now, minimum wage workers make $9.92 an hour. San Francisco is one of the few cities that sets its own minimum wage. In 2003, voters passed a law that calls for automatic yearly wage increases.”
The LA Times analyzes the increase, saying employees seem to be for it, but employers say the higher pay will mean they have to eliminate jobs altogether -- actually hurting employees in the long run. Still, the numbers, the Times says -- don’t match that attitude.
“ ... But San Francisco's economy has proved resilient. The city's unemployment rate was 7.8 percent in November, well below the 11.3 percent statewide rate.”
And while the federal minimum wage is not changing with the new year, nationwide, eight states are seeing increases, including …
Washington to $9.04, Oregon to $8.80 and Ohio to $7.70.
Truth-Out applauds those raises, but says -- still, not enough.
“The raises to come are modest by any measurement. … those earning the minimum include many of our most valuable yet needy and exploited workers.”
The site argues that increasing minimum wages nationwide would help get some people off of welfare, thus strengthening the economy as a whole.
