US raises minimum wage in 56 cities, counties and states since January

With information from EFE

Workers in the United States who earn the minimum wage will benefit from an increase that will take effect on January 1 in 56 cities, counties and states, the National Employment Law Project (NELP) reported today.

In 33 of those jurisdictions, the minimum wage will reach $ 15 per hour or more for some or all of the workers.

“Since the first fight for $ 15 in 2012, the movement has grown tremendously and accelerated as the pandemic exposed stark inequalities and dangerous working conditions,” said Rebecca Dixon, executive director of NELP.

Workers in companies that have contracts with the federal government signed after January 30 will also be guaranteed a minimum wage of at least US $ 15 an hour, the Labor Department announced last month.

These increases, NELP recalled, occur near the tenth anniversary of the first strike carried out, and the first organized union in the fast food restaurant sector.

The minimum wage is supposed to be sufficient to provide food, clothing and housing for workers, and has remained, at the federal level, at US $ 7.25 since 2010, an amount that adjusted for inflation equaled US $ 7 , 15 last year.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), hourly workers with wages at or below the minimum level differ little among major racial or ethnic groups.

In 2020, according to BLS, roughly 2% of black workers earned minimum wage or less, while the proportion was 1% among white, Asian and Latino workers.

“Underpaid workers, especially blacks and Latinos, have mobilized to demand higher wages, healthy working conditions, and jobs with dignity (…) In the face of a tight labor market, employees have acted quickly to retain their employees, ”added Dixon.