Oregon’s minimum wage rises by 35 cents an hour Tuesday, with Lincoln County’s increasing to $15.05 per hour. The state raises the minimum wage each July 1.
This year’s standard increase is 2.4 percent — the smallest since 2015. That was the year before the Oregon Legislature approved seven annual increases in the minimum wage and mandated further increases tied to the cost of living, beginning in 2023. With inflation cooling off last year, the minimum wage increase is smaller, too.
Oregon is unusual because it has three minimum wages: A top tier for the Portland area, a “standard” tier in other urban and semiurban counties like Lincoln County which will be $15.05 an hour, and a lower tier which will be $14.05 in more rural parts of the state.
All three are among the highest in the nation and far above the federal minimum wage, which has been $7.25 an hour since 2009.
Fewer than 90,000 Oregonians earn the minimum wage, according to the Oregon Employment Department, 1 in 25 workers statewide. The share of people earning the least has been falling for several years, reflecting wage gains at the bottom of Oregon’s income scale that have pushed more workers above the minimum.
Minimum wage workers are concentrated in just a few industries. Nearly a quarter are in the hospitality industry. Tips augment wages for many workers in that field, especially among those working at bars and restaurants.
- The Oregonian/OregonLive
