As the cost of living continues to rise in California, the minimum wage in several cities and counties across the state will increase on July 1. The following are among the localities raising their minimum wage above the state’s $16.50-per-hour requirement:
Certain industries in some cities have specific minimum wages. In the city of Los Angeles, the minimum wage for hotel and airport employees will rise to $22.50 per hour. Similarly, in Santa Monica, the minimum wage for hotel employees will increase to $22.50 per hour as well.
“If you are an employer and you have employees” in one of the relevant municipalities, “you need to adhere to what the local minimum wage rates are,” said Mark Wallin, an attorney with Barnes & Thornburg in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles. In other words, the local minimum wage takes precedence over the state requirement.
The July increase continues the trend across California of raising the minimum wage to combat the rising cost of living. With the state’s housing costs soaring, municipalities in progressive areas are also facing political pressure from labor advocates and voters, said Michael Manoukian, an attorney with...
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