At a national scale, Americans everywhere are feeling the mounting pressure of economic inflation, rising insurance and steep prices for everyday goods. The current inflation rate is at 3.36%, down from 3.48% last month, and a far lower metric than the recorded 9.06% in June of 2022. Still, many people feel the heat, not from the true value of a dollar, but the metaphorical grilling and broiling of a 26% insurance cost hike across the board. Americans now spend $2,500.00 on average per year for car coverage, which is a legal necessity for every motorist on the road. This increase compounded with an average recorded 2.2% increase for the most basic groceries, even our fellow students who live at home must tighten their ‘budgets’ for trips to El Kiosko and Boba Tea.
In all seriousness, the economy is hurting, and the tentative King County metropolitan officials approved a $20.26 an hour wage increase for unincorporated king county employees, planned to take effect January 1st of 2025. This is a 15% increase from the current rate of $17.25 for schedule 1 employees (employees of a company with less than 500 workers). The ordinance also changes the minimum wage discrepancy between schedule 1 and schedule 2 workers; a decision which small businesses would find difficulty coping with, as they either must give their workers less hours to work or lay off a few of their small, independent staff. While our city of Renton is a part of incorporated King County, the vast majority of students find work just down the street at The Landing shopping center, which is a part of unincorporated King County.
Comment from the Author:
“I think it’s great” says Dylan Wheeler, who is an independent contractor, “Everybody gets paid a little extra and that greases the wheels sure, but the rich are still rich and $20.26 an hour is still a year behind us, and two years behind by the time it comes into effect.”
(Picture of a stack of dollar bills with Scrabble letters spelling “MINIMUM WAGE.” )
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