PORTLAND, Ore. — Minimum wages went up by 70 cents statewide Saturday. New hourly rates vary by county.
In the Portland metro area, the minimum wage is now $15.45 in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington County.
The standard minimum wage statewide is $14.20 in 15 counties. In counties that are more rural, minimum wage has risen to $12.50.
Representatives of the Oregon AFL-CIO praised the increase in pay, but some business owners said the higher wages will make it more difficult to keep their business afloat.
“We’re still reeling from the hit we took for three full years,” Dan & Louis Oyster Bar Co-owner Michelle Wachsmuth said. “And it still hasn’t recovered all the way. And so it’s hard to pay people more money when you really don’t have money.”
Wachsmuth said she is in favor of raising wages because of the increased cost of housing. But she said it will lead to less profits for her restaurant, which is still struggling from COVID-19 and increased crime downtown.
She said the increase in pay could lead to her hiring less staff.
“We have to bare-bones it and when the rushes come, [I] hope we have enough people to cover the rush,” Wachsmuth said.
In a statement, representatives of the Oregon AFL-CIO said the uptick in wages will benefit 108,000 Oregonians. They said the rise is a “significant milestone.”
“It’s nice to see people have enough money to afford the things they need to live,” Oregon Resident Christopher Lee Warner said.
But Warner realizes the extra pay will be difficult for small businesses.
“To some people it’s a good thing,” Warner said. “And to small business owners that are struggling, it’s not a good thing.”
Despite the bump, minimum wage workers are still a far ways off from being able to afford a two bedroom apartment. A recent study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition shows people need to make almost $30 an hour to afford a two-bedroom.