On July 1, Oregon’s three minimum wage levels will increase by 70 cents, bringing the hourly minimum wage to $15.45 an hour in the Portland metro area, $14.20 in standard counties, and $13.20 in non-urban counties. This year’s increase marks the first time the minimum wage in any of Oregon’s regions has topped $15 per hour. According to recent data, 1 in 20 Oregon workers earn minimum wage, about 108,000 workers. With over half of the state’s minimum wage earners living in the Portland Metropolitan Area, this increase is a significant milestone for working Oregonians. Starting next year, the increase in the minimum wage will be tied to the consumer price index.
Oregon AFL-CIO President Graham Trainor issued the following statement in response to the 2023 increase in Oregon’s minimum wage:
“In 2016, Oregon’s unions and our allies fought hard to raise the minimum wage and create a pathway to prosperity for working people. For the first time in state history, the wage for over half of Oregon’s minimum wage workers will be over $15 per hour. This raise, which impacts over 100,000 workers across the state in total, is significant progress but we must continue to find ways to better support working people and families. We need to elect leaders who share our goals of building prosperity for working people. We need to pass policies that strengthen our economy through fairness and justice for all. And we must continue to help workers organize unions on every shop floor in Oregon in order to have a strong voice on the job and to fight for dignity, respect and fairness in the workplace. The increased minimum wage is absolutely a step forward, but it’s critical that Oregon continues to make massive strides in the right direction as well.”
Workers earning the minimum wage should check their pay stubs following July 1 to ensure their wages are increased. Workers whose wages did not increase as expected should file a wage and hour complaint with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries immediately.
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