Los Angeles Minimum Wage Will Increase To $16.04 In July

The minimum wage in the city of Los Angeles will increase from $15 to $16.04 per hour, starting July 1.

Minimum wages in Los Angeles have increased every year since 2016, after Mayor Eric Garcetti signed an ordinance that requires wages to keep up with inflation.

“We fought to raise the minimum wage because hard work should always be met with the dignity, respect, and opportunity that fair pay brings,” Mayor Garcetti said in a statement Thursday. “Our decision to end poverty wages in L.A. caused a ripple effect across the nation, and this additional increase is the latest reason to celebrate today – and a reminder of how our fight for better wages is far from finished.”

The ordinance made Los Angeles the largest city to approve a $15 per hour minimum wage, which officially took effect in 2020.

The mayor’s office said the $16.04 figure coincides with the “Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”

This will be how minimum wages will be decided going forward, on an annual basis.

“The minimum wage rate increase is intended to help move us toward a better economy and ensure that employees can have their basic needs met,” Dr. Mike Davis, President Pro Tempore, Board of Public Works Commission said. “I commend the Mayor and City Council for their efforts to combat income inequality and our Bureau of Contract Administration for protecting and promoting the health, safety and welfare of workers in Los Angeles.”