Minimum wage goes up today
By NICOLE CARTRETTE
Staff Writer
One dollar may not buy a lot but when it comes to increasing the state’s minimum wage for the first time in 10 years, it amounts to something.
Minimum wage has remained at $5.15 an hour in North Carolina since 1997 but on Jan. 1 it increases to $6.15 per hour for regular employees and from $2.13 to $3.13 an hour for tipped employees.
“It’s not going to affect me a whole lot,” said Doug Hayes, owner of Ivy’s Café in Whiteville.
He said most of his employees are above minimum wage but the increase does put pressure on business owners to up the pay of employees, even if they are already above the minimum.
“I don’t know if I can afford to up it, though,” Hayes said.
“I think it’s going to hurt everybody with small businesses,” said Greg Powell of Quality Cleaners.
He agreed that it potentially drives up the pay of other employees earning more than minimum wage and that it could “drastically” affect payroll.
“It’s going to be hard on small business and overall, somebody is going to have to eat it –it’s going to cost jobs,” Powell said, pointing out at his own business there will be no lay-offs. “If they were worth above minimum wage before they will be worth above minimum wage now.”
A search of the Employment Security Commission’s job databank this week indicated of 58 job openings in Columbus County, only three listed pay at or below $6 per hour.
No hourly pay was listed for 18 jobs posted and seven jobs were listed at more than $10 per hour.
In July the N.C. State Legislature adopted the minimum wage increase.
The state is one of 16 to increase minimum wages. Ten states have a minimum wage of at least $7 per hour.