Monday, October 7

Although wages increased, 17 million workers in the United States will still earn less than $ 15 an hour by 2025


Aunque los salarios aumentaron, 17 millones de trabajadores en Estados Unidos seguirán ganando menos de $15 la hora hacia 2025
Official projections show that an eventual increase in the federal minimum wage to $ 15 dollars an hour would cost jobs.

Photo: OZAN KOSE / AFP / Getty Images

One of the phenomena that have occurred since the economic recovery began throughout the country has to do with the companies that historically paid a minimum hourly wage of $ 7. 25 dollars had to double said remuneration without passing a law that dictated that the starting salary for all employees must be $ 15 dollars per hour .

This trend of raising wages is has given mainly in sectors such as restaurant, retail and travel , with the main purpose to satisfy the growing demand of Americans, who in recent months have turned to shopping malls and public places to make all kinds of purchases .

Although many experts in labor issues welcome the salary increases that are have occurred in these sectors, in the context of the economic reopening of the country, the increases will not necessarily be in force always, since they are not supported by legislation that dictates that the national minimum wage is $ 15 dollars may change.

This idea is reinforced after the Budget Office of the United States Congress announced that although thousands earn better thanks to the new salaries set by companies, it is estimated that millions of Americans will earn less than $ 15 dollars for 2025, which represents 17 millions of workers nationwide .

So far, 30 states and the District of Columbia have determined that the minimum wage must exceed the federal minimum of $ 7. 25 Dollars. 11 states have passed laws that will raise the minimum wage to $ 16 dollars over time. Among them is Florida, where a measure was approved last year that raises remuneration for 2026.

According to the Fox television network, the National Employment Law Project, an advocacy group for low-income workers, calculates that 26 million people, or about 16% of workers, have received a higher wage due to all increases in state and local minimum wage since 2012, although sometimes it is less than $ 15 The time.

Official projections show that an eventual increase in the federal minimum wage to $ 15 dollars an hour would cost jobs. The Congressional Budget Office reported that this would mean 1.4 million fewer jobs for 2025 . But it was also found that 27 millions of people would receive salary increases.

By not having federal legislation that supports a minimum wage of $ 15 dollars there is a danger that when the pandemic subsides, employers will see a huge demand for jobs, so the salary that is being offered for the positions is expected to decrease and that is a trend in the market, since many companies raised wages because other companies did .

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