Friday, June 22

Lost Wages and Lost Perspective

On July 1, 2018, Johnson County would have enacted a $14.00 minimum wage. But, due to legislation passed in 2017, counties no longer have the authority to enact wage polices. Despite this, many businesses in Johnson County have held a $10.10 minimum wage in place as it was the going rate when the Johnson County Ordinance was in place.

According to the Corridor Business Journal, "Johnson County had a higher minimum wage than the state for 17 months, including three months when it was $10.10 per hour. Last year, the county's Minimum Wage Advisory Committee found that the  increase did not appear to hurt businesses - one suggested possible negative consequence. The committee also found the wage increase benefited low-wage workers, who saw a larger increase in their average weekly earnings."

 Sadly for workers in the area, Johnson County can only symbolically call for the raising of the minimum wage. The need for a higher minimum wage has not gone away. Remember that the state minimum wage is still $7.25 per hour and also remember this in November.


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