US government employees to earn at least Rs 1100 per hour with minimum wage hike

New Delhi: The Joe Biden-led US government has decided to hike the minimum wage for government to $15 (around Rs 1100) an hour. According to the latest guidance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the US federal agencies have been directed to raise the minimum wage for government employees to $15 an hour, Reuters reported.  

"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, Director of the Office of Personnel Management, said in the statement.

The decision will benefit about 70,000 federal employees. In a statement released on Friday, January 22, most of the federal employees work at either Departments of Defense or Agriculture or Veteran Affairs. 

It is important to note that the move meets the promise of Biden’s presidential campaign promise of supporting blue-collar workers a priority. He had said that strong unions and higher wages could resurrect America's middle class while helping bridge economic and racial inequities, according to a report by Reuters. 

Biden had issued the executive order raising wages of federal contract workers to $15 an hour in 2021. Also Read: Micromax In Note 2 smartphone to launch next week: Check specs, price, features

Meanwhile, the Office of Personnel Management has ordered agencies to implement the new wage by January 30. The department said in its statement that the order excludes the US Postal Service and Postal Regulatory Commission. Also Read: LIC Policy: Pay a single premium and get Rs 12,000 every month, here’s how