Final approval of the permanent legislation, being announced today by Councilmember David Catania, will increase the minimum wage in the District to $7 per hour by January 2006.

Currently, thirteen states – including the District of Columbia – have minimum wage rates higher than the federal minimum wage of $5.15 an hour.  Based on the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) occupational employment statistics for May 2003, there are 3,515 employees (0.6 percent of the 594,510 employees) in the District whose wage-level is below the proposed $6.60 per hour.  A full-time District employee earning a minimum wage currently grosses less than $13,000 per year, which is below the poverty level of $18,244 for a family of four.

According to the Department of Employment Services’ Director Gregg Irish, employees in retail trade, laundry and dry cleaning, beauty, fast food preparation and parking lot attendants will benefit from the increased wage rate.  “This legislation not only helps those who labor at wages insufficient to provide adequate household maintenance,” said Director Irish, “but it also increases the purchasing power of the District’s workers.”