Oklahoma: Minimum wage goes up, but most jobs already pay more
According to the Tulsa World:
On Thursday, the federal minimum wage will be bumped up by 70 cents, but that won't have much impact on many area businesses that already are paying well above the lowest rate, according to some local observers.
This week's minimum wage hike to $6.55 an hour comes one year after was raised to $5.85 an hour.
"Our economy is really doing quite well. It is still growing. It is positive growth, and it's doing relatively better than other parts of the country. Our wages are pretty firm," said Bob Ball, economic research manager for the Tulsa Metro Chamber.
In May, the Tulsa area had a 3.5 percent unemployment. The seven-county metro area also added 1,700 jobs in May, giving it a total nonfarm employment of 428,600, according to information from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
A quick survey of some area employers and industry observers indicated there aren't a lot of minimum-wage jobs.
Angie Stoner, spokeswoman for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said her company already pays its workers well above the federal minimum wage.
The average pay for a full-time hourly employee at a Wal-Mart store in Oklahoma is $10.31 per hour, Stoner said.
"So, essentially this will not be affecting our associates in the state of Oklahoma," Stoner said of the national wage hike. Wal-Mart employs about 30,000 people statewide.
Jan Stevens, owner of The Snow Goose, a Utica Square gift shop, said she has not paid her employees minimum wage for years.
"I stay above it because I'm sensitive to the needs of an individual," she said. "Regardless of what the work is, minimum wage is too little for an hour's work.
Stevens added that with her business' overhead costs on the rise in almost every category, an increase in the minimum wage is not something she is concerned about.
"It's just one of those things that we don't have any control of."
Even among what some might consider low-paying jobs, the typical rate in Tulsa is still above the minimum wage....click to continue.
