Biden Raises Minimum Wage for Federal Employees To $15 Per Hour

US federal agencies have been directed to raise the minimum wage for government employees to $15 an hour, according to new guidance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Photo Insert: The directive to increase the minimum wage will impact almost 70,000 federal employees most of whom work at the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, and Veteran Affairs.

The directive will impact almost 70,000 federal employees most of whom work at the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, and Veteran Affairs, OPM said in a statement on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, Reuters reported.

President Biden made supporting blue-collar workers a priority of his presidential campaign, saying strong unions and higher wages could resurrect America's middle class while helping bridge economic and racial inequities.

Last year Biden issued an executive order raising wages of federal contract workers to $15 an hour.

“Raising pay rates across the federal government to a minimum of $15 per hour reflects our appreciation for the federal workforce and our values as a nation," Kiran Ahuja, OPM director said. OPM has asked agencies to implement the new wage by Jan. 30, and it excludes the US Postal Service and Postal Regulatory Commission, the statement said.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic