Oregon's minimum wage set to increase in July 2024
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Starting July 1, Oregon’s minimum wage will increase by 50 cents across the state's three-tiered system.
The three-tiered system, created by the legislature in 2016, divides minimum wage increases into categories based on county, with wage increases based on the Consumer Price Index.
Under the increase, minimum wage in the Portland metro area -- including Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties -- will be set at $15.95 per hour.
The standard minimum wage in Oregon -- including Benton, Clatsop, Columbia, Deschutes, Hood River, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Polk, Tillamook, Wasco, Yamhill, and parts of Clackamas, Multnomah, & Washington outside the urban growth boundary -- will be set at $14.70
The non-urban minimum wage will increase to $13.70 per hour in Baker, Coos, Crook, Curry, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, and Wheeler counties.
The wage increases were announced in April by Christina Stephenson, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries, which enforces Oregon's minimum wage law.
By April 30 of every year, the bureau calculates an adjustment of the standard minimum wage rate.
“Indexing the minimum wage to inflation aims to ensure the wages of Oregon workers keep pace with the economic realities they face. Wage increases, particularly for those at the bottom of the income spectrum, have far-reaching benefits. They increase community level economic activity and support local businesses. Moreover, wage increases help to reduce pay inequalities for women and people of color, fostering overall economic growth,” BOLI said in an April press release announcing the increase.
The bureau added, “This increase in earnings for low-wage workers reaffirms our commitment to upholding employment rights and promoting fairness and justice in the workplace, thus fostering a more inclusive and equitable society.”
The 50-cent increase to Oregon's minimum wage comes as the federal minimum wage in 2024 is set at $7.25 per hour.