PORTLAND - Oregon’s minimum wage will increase tomorrow, July 1, 2021. The minimum wage increases to $14.00 per hour inside the Portland urban growth boundary, $12.00 per hour in nonurban counties, and $12.75 in other areas of the state. The Oregon Employment Department estimates that over 123,200 workers in Oregon will receive a raise tomorrow as a result of the increase. Oregon AFL-CIO President Graham Trainor responded to what the annual increase means for Oregon’s working families and our economy:
“Raising the minimum wage is exactly what Oregon’s economy needs: We know that when the lowest-paid workers receive a pay raise, they in turn put money directly into Oregon’s local economies. Oregon’s unions and our partners led the charge to increase the minimum wage in 2016 and now with a year left in the predetermined increases we are ready to keep pushing forward. We know that before the pandemic hit, too many working people were struggling. The cracks in our economy were ripped wider by 16 months of uncertainty and we must continue to do more to build a truly just and equitable Oregon for all working people. That means passing reforms to give farmworkers access to overtime, protecting workers from extreme heat and smoke, and being better prepared than we were in March 2020 to ensure workers’ health and economic safety when the next crisis hits. Raising the minimum wage is a cornerstone of this work and it requires looking at the full picture to truly make the progress workers need.”
While the Federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 per hour, Oregon’s minimum wage will increase for each of Oregon’s three regions:
Non-Urban Counties will increase from $11.50 per hour to $12.00
Standard will increase from $12.00 per hour to $12.75
Portland Metro will increase from $13.25 per hour to $14.00
Workers earning the minimum wage should check their pay stubs following the July 1st increase and contact Oregon’s Bureau of Labor and Industries Wage and Hour Division if they have any questions about the increase or to report an employer who is not increasing wages in accordance with the law.
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