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Dispatches from public radio's correspondent at the Oregon Legislature. This is a venue for political and policy coverage of the state government in Salem and its impact on the people of Oregon.

No Change To Oregon's Minimum Wage In 2016

Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries
Oregon's minimum wage is $9.25 per hour.

Minimum wage workers in Oregon won't see a pay raise next year. State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian announced Wednesday that Oregon's minimum wage will hold steady for the first time since 2010.

Oregon's minimum wage is tied to inflation. Specifically, it's tied to the federal Consumer Price Index. This year that index rose, but only a little bit. It would have translated to a 2-cents per hour increase.

But a spokesman for Avakian pointed to a 2002 voter-approved ballot measure that called for any minimum wage hike to be rounded to the nearest nickel. In this case, it means the hike gets rounded down to zero, and the wage remains $9.25 per hour.

Avakian is calling on Oregon lawmakers to raise the minimum wage when they meet next February. Voters could also get the chance to weigh in at the ballot next year.

Officials in Washington state will announce any possible minimum wage increases on September 30. That wage is also tied to inflation and is the highest in the nation at $9.47 per hour.

The Idaho minimum wage is the same as the federal one. It’s been $7.25 an hour since 2009.