Impact of Wage Increase Is Minor Local Employers Already Pay More

Summary

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The hourly pay of the nation's lowest wage earners got a 14 percent boost last week, but in the Evansville area, the increase in the federal minimum wage to $5.85 from $5.15 may be the economic equivalent of the tree that fell in the woods when no one was around to hear it.

It's not expected to have much impact, largely because few people were earning only $5.15 an hour, the minimum rate set 10 years ago. Employers have found they have to pay more than even the new rate - usually $6-$7 or more an hour - to attract employees.

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Extract

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Impact of Wage Increase Is Minor Local Employers Already Pay More

"We get very few requests (from employers) for jobs that pay the minimum wage," said Tom Horstman, programs director for WorkOne, an employment and training consortium. "Most businesses in the past few years pr...

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