Oregon's Minimum Wage Will Rise to $9.10 in 2014

Author: Michael Cardman, XpertHR Legal Editor

September 17, 2013

As part of an annual inflation adjustment required by state law, Oregon will increase its minimum wage to $9.10 per hour next year, the state labor agency announced.

The new rate represents an increase of 15 cents over the current rate of $8.95 per hour. With the planned increase, Oregon's minimum wage will remain the second highest in the nation, just behind its neighbor to the north, Washington.

A state statute that was enacted following a 2002 ballot measure, ORS § 653.025, requires the minimum wage rate to be adjusted annually to keep pace with the rate of inflation. This year's increase of 1.5 percent was based on the change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers between August 2012 and August 2013, rounded to the nearest five cents.

Nine other states also annually adjust their minimum wages based on the rate of inflation.

Once the new minimum wage kicks in, Oregon's minimum wage will be nearly two dollars higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. The higher state minimum wage will apply except in rare cases in which an employee is exempt from Oregon's minimum wage requirements but not those of the federal government.

Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries estimates that the increase will affect 98,000 workers.