SALEM, Ore. — Minimum wage workers are set to receive a boost this July when a planned increase for the entire state of Oregon goes into effect.
The actual amount of the increase and overall minimum hourly wage varies — largely by county. According to the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), the increases are broken into "Standard" counties, the "Portland Metro" area, and "Nonurban Counties." Portland Metro receives a 75 cent per hour increase, while Standard and Nonurban Counties each go up by 50 cents.
In Southern Oregon, Jackson and Josephine counties are considered Standard and will see the minimum wage increase to $11.25 per hour. Meanwhile, the surrounding Nonurban Counties of Curry, Douglas, Klamath and Lake will remain lower — increasing to $11.00 per hour.
The plan to increase minimum wages across the state comes from a bill approved by Oregon lawmakers in 2016 and reflects a multi-year effort to gradually raise wages before they are pinned to the U.S. Consumer Price Index in 2023 to keep with the rate of inflation.
At present, the federal minimum wage remains $7.25 per hour.
Employees who make more than the minimum wage are not likely to see any change to their pay — under the Oregon law, employers are not obligated to change wages above the legal limit.
