Minimum wage in Los Angeles will soon increase to $16

The minimum wage in Los Angeles is set to rise again. 

On Thursday, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that beginning July 1, 2022 the minimum wage will increase from $15 to $16.04 per hour.

"We fought to raise the minimum wage because hard work should always be met with the dignity, respect, and opportunity that fair pay brings," Garcetti said. "Our decision to end poverty wages in L.A. caused a ripple effect across the nation, and this additional increase is the latest reason to celebrate today – and a reminder of how our fight for better wages is far from finished."

The mayor said the annual pay adjustment is aimed at ensuring that workers’ wages keep on pace with the increase of inflation.

The minimum wage increase is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers in Los Angeles, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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A $15 minimum wage went into effect for small businesses in Los Angeles in July 2021 after being gradually phased in since it's approval in 2015. 

In November of 2021, West Hollywood city leaders voted to approve the highest minimum wage in the country… $17.64 an hour.

RELATED: West Hollywood approves highest minimum wage in country at $17.64 an hour

That ordinance took effect Jan 1. 2022 for hospitality workers and will extend to all city workers on July 1.

According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the living wage in Los Angeles equates to making $19.35 an hour. California's state minimum wage is $13 an hour for employees with 25 workers or fewer and $14 an hour for staff with employers with 26 or more staff members.

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