Chicago's Minimum Wage Is Now Up To $10.50 An Hour
By Mae Rice in News on Jul 1, 2016 5:43PM
The minimum wage in Chicago rose to $10.50 an hour from $10 an hour on Friday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced in a statement. This is part of a series of increases, every July 1, until Chicago reaches a minimum wage of $13 an hour in the summer of 2019.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel estimates this amounts to a raise for 270,000 Chicago workers.
“Today marks another step for people across Chicago by making sure hard work is rewarded with higher pay. Because earning the minimum wage should not mean minimal opportunities for Chicago’s families,” Emanuel said in a statement Friday. “Anyone who works in the City of Chicago should be able to afford to live and raise a family here.”
This is a nice sentiment, but it's not a reality by any means. Relatedly, though the minimum rage is (slowly but) steadily rising towards $13 an hour, low-wage workers went on strikes throughout Chicago in April to push for a $15 an hour minimum wage.
You can read our story from 2014 on the pros and cons of raising Chicago's minimum wage here.