West Hollywood Considers Approving Highest Minimum Wage In U.S.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA —The West Hollywood City Council is expected to vote on raising the minimum the wage in the city to $17.64 per an hour, which would be the highest in the country, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles.

The vote is scheduled at the council's Wednesday virtual meeting, which was postponed Monday because of technical difficulties.

Fox 11 Los Angeles reported that if passed, the new minimum wage would begin for hotel workers in January, and for all other workers on July 1, 2022.

Initially, the new minimum wage was going to be just for hotel workers. But in a staff report, the council noted "if the minimum wage is appropriate for hotel workers, it is also appropriate for all workers in the city."

"I'm just not sure why we would have a different minimum wage for any employee," councilmember John D'Amico told FoxBusiness.com. "We should choose the highest one and make that what our minimum wage is."

Currently, California's minimum wage is $13 at companies with 25 or fewer employees, and $14 at companies with 26 or more staff members. Starting Jan. 1, the state's minimum wage will increase to $14 an hour for companies with 25 or fewer employees, and $15 for companies with 26 or more staff members.

Small businesses - 25 employees or fewer - will have their minimum wage go up to $15 at the beginning of 2023.

According to CNN, Emeryville currently holds the record for America's highest minimum wage, which was hiked to $17.13 an hour this past July.

The federal minimum wage remains at $7.25 an hour, where it has been since 2009.