Apple said last week that it will increase starting wages for its U.S. retail to $22 per hour, up from $20 and representing a 45 percent hike from 2018 levels.

Management will also raise wages for corporate staff amid a historically tight labor market and employee concerns about the cost of living impact of inflation. Google, Amazon.com and Microsoft also adjusted compensation structures in recent weeks. In some markets, Apple’s retail starting pay will be above $22.

The new pay will take effect in early July, according to The Wall Street Journal.

“Supporting and retaining the best team members in the world enables us to deliver the best, most innovative, products and services for our customers,” Apple said in a statement.

Scores of retailers have raised pay and enhanced benefits over the last two years in the competitive job market. The pay increases also reflect hikes in the minimum wages and tensions faced by associates working on selling floors during the pandemic.

Costco, often lauded for its generous pay, last year raised its hourly minimum wage to $16 from $15 and indicated that its average hourly rate is $24.

Apple’s move to raise pay arrives as workers at company stores in New York, Maryland, Atlanta and Louisville have announced their intent to unionize.

Apple has been accused of illegal union-busting tactics. In an internal video leaked to The Verge, Apple VP of people and retail Deirdre O’Brien said, “I worry about what it would mean to put another...

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