Additionally, the governor said, “Pennsylvania is falling behind others states and our neighbors are helping working families while the Republican-controlled legislature here has failed to act in the last decade. I join workers across Pennsylvania in calling for action to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage.”
Pennsylvania minimum wage is not enough
In January last year, Democratic State Rep. Patty Kim introduced a legislation to raise Pennsylvania’s minimum wage. Her proposal is to start with $12 per hour this year and then to $15 by 2024. For tipped minimum wage, her proposal is to increase it to $9 per hour this year and then to $12 by 2024.
Last month, Rep. Kim repeated his position that $7.25 per hour is not enough. She noted that a single person working 40 hours a week is only making only earns about $15,000, which is below the poverty line.To live in Philadelphia County, a single person needs to earn about $33,420 a year.
As a result, the worker is “forced to rely on state and federal government programs like Medicaid, housing subsidies and SNAP. A person working full-time needs to supplement his or her salary with taxpayers funded program. No matter how hard they work and get a job that pays $8, $9, or $10 an hour, they won’t be able to make ends meet,” said Rep. Kim.
