UW CHWS Director Quoted in KQED News Story on Recent California Law Requiring Health Care Employers to Raise Minimum Wage

After months of delays, a new California law that requires most health care employers to gradually boost their lowest wage to reach $25 an hour in the coming years finally went into effect. The mandated minimum wage is the first in the United States to target the health care industry, aiming to alleviate workforce shortages and improve patient care. The pay increases could also help health employers recruit and retain workers in often tough, frontline jobs.
According to UW CHWS Director Bianca Frogner – a health economist, California already mandates most fast-food employers pay at least $20 an hour. Fast food, as well as the retail industry, often compete with health care for workers. “It gives health care maybe a fighting chance against other industries that might be raising wages and are competing for workers.” Read the full article and listen to the companion radio story here.