King County Council to consider $19 minimum hourly wage
A nearly $19 minimum hourly wage could be coming to some workers in unincorporated King County.
A proposal announced Thursday by County Councilman Girmay Zahilay would bump the county's minimum wage to $18.99 at companies with 500 or more employees, effective Jan. 1, to better match nearby cities Seattle ($18.69), SeaTac ($19.04) and Tukwila ($18.99). The minimum hourly wage in King County's unincorporated areas is currently the same as that of Washington state: $15.74 an hour.
Smaller businesses would also be required to increase minimum pay, though the increases would phase in more slowly. Per the proposal, employers with 15 or fewer workers and gross revenue under $2 million would pay at least $15.99 ("the minimum wage minus three dollars"
, increasing $0.50 each year. The rate for companies with 15 to 500 workers would be $16.99 ("the minimum wage minus two dollars" , increasing $1 each year until the reduction is zero.
Zahilay is set to announce the proposal Thursday alongside council co-sponsors Rod Dembowski and Jeanne Kohl-Welles, and other officials and business owners.
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2023/09/07/king-county-councilman-proposes-19-minimum-wage.html