HARRISBURG (Newsradio 100.1 FM and 1020 AM KDKA) – Governor Wolf wants to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $12 per hour starting on July 1st, then increasing it by $0.50 until it reaches $15 per hour by July 1, 2027.
“This is not about $7.25, it’s about the nearly 1 million Pennsylvanians who will get a raise at $12 an hour,” said Gov. Wolf. “Too many essential workers are earning poverty wages while putting themselves at risk to keep our society running. They keep food on shelves, move crucial supplies, take care of our children, and support people with disabilities. And thousands of them earn poverty wages. These hardworking people deserve better. They deserve a living wage.”
Wolf says that increasing the minimum wage will increase incomes of more than 1.1 million Pennsylvanians.
Wolf cites states like Florida that are working to raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2026. Maryland, New Jersey, and New York are also working to raise the minimum wage to $15.
According to a Pew Research Center survey, two-thirds of Americans support a $15 minimum wage.
“In our current economic and social climate, raising the minimum wage through legislation such as my SB 12 is prudent and urgent,” Senator Tartaglione said. “It is supported by a preponderance of academic and scientific research and would improve wage equity for women and minorities. Furthermore, it is endorsed by an overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians. I thank Governor Wolf for prioritizing a fairer and more equitable minimum wage, and for supporting our lowest-paid workers and their families.”
“For too long, the minimum wage of $7.25 has been stuck at its current outdated level,” said Rep. Patty Kim. “We desperately need to raise the minimum wage floor. Rising costs are drowning these workers who can’t keep their heads above financial waters. People who work full-time should not run out of money before paying their basic necessities. Gradually raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour will give these hard workers the breathing room that they need and deserve.”
In 2018, Wolf signed an executive order raising the minimum wage for commonwealth employees under the governor’s jurisdiction to $12 an hour with a pathway to $15 by 2024.
The minimum wage for state workers is $13 an hour.