Wal-Mart to increase wages for US Workers

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has announced plans to increase the pay of all U.S. employees to at least $9 an hour by April, and an additional dollar an hour by 2016. This wage increase will exceed the federal minimum wage by 24 percent. This will affect about 500,000 full-time and part-time Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club employees out of the company’s 1.4 million total.

With the nearing presidential election, the debate surrounding the richest percentile of Americans and the rest of the country has been a hot topic both in Congress and conference rooms. The move, while progressive for Wal-Mart, still has critics arguing for a $15 minimum wage. And while not a federal law, seven states, including California and Massachusetts, have already instated a $9 minimum (Minnesota will reach $9 in August).

This could be a major influence on other brands that have yet to increase wages, especially as pressures from state legislatures and the workforce continue.