Seattle approves minimum wage of $15 per hour
The city council of Seattle on Monday unanimously approved a $15 per hour minimum wage throughout the city, the highest in the US, the Seattle Times reported. The measure was cheered by fast-food workers and labour activists, but denounced by many business owners who said it would force them to raise prices or cut into meagre profit margins. The minimum wage in Seattle was at the $9.32 level prevalent throughout Washington state. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25. The measure will be phased in over the next seven years, and also includes a lower training wage for teens and disabled workers. The effects of the new law will be closely watched throughout the country.
The city council of Seattle on Monday unanimously approved a $15 per hour minimum wage throughout the city, the highest in the US, the Seattle Times reported. The measure was cheered by fast-food workers and labour activists, but denounced by many business owners who said it would force them to raise prices or cut into meagre profit margins. The minimum wage in Seattle was at the $9.32 level prevalent throughout Washington state. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25. The measure will be phased in over the next seven years, and also includes a lower training wage for teens and disabled workers. The effects of the new law will be closely watched throughout the country.
Read the Hindu Business Line news report here.
