HR administrations and payroll services have constantly heard about how the federal government may seek to increase minimum wage. Last week, the House rejected an amended measure to put minimum wage at $10.10 per hour. The Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) act had been changed by House Democrats to include a pay increase for workers making minimum wage. President Barack Obama had previously proposed the federal minimum wage increase from $7.25 to $9 an hour.
However, many businesses worry that they will have to lay off members of their workforce to accommodate the increase in wage, despite the improving economy.
Seth Harris, acting U.S. secretary of labor, said in a recent interview that the increase will improve the economy and quality of life for those citizens currently living off of minimum wage.
"The President's proposing increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 an hour. That will be a very big improvement in the quality of life for these folks — people who are scraping to get by, making impossible choices," Harris told Milwaukee Fox affiliate WITI.
