A $16 Minimum Wage Hike Begins For Idahoans at Costco Next Week

The minimum wage battle is on and only gaining steam. This has been a strong political play for it feels like the last 10 years. The $15 dollar number is the fight and it's happening in Washington right now.

Costco is making noise and trying to lead by example as they make another wage increase. The popular wholesale corporation will now pay entry-level employees a minimum of $16 dollars per hour.

This isn't new because Costco has been on an increase for employees for years. They raised the minimum at Costco was $14 in 2018 to $15 in 2019 for all entry-level employees. I always joke it's my goal to work at Costco because have you ever seen any unhappy? They were jeans, flannels, and a smile!

I wasn't to note this isn't altruism. At Costco, we know that paying employees good wages...makes sense for our business and constitutes a significant competitive advantage for us. It helps us in the long run by minimizing turnover and maximizing employee productivity.

That comes from CEO W. Craig Jelinek and don't expect him to stop there. The White House is fighting over $25 dollars by 2025. We sit at $7.75 in Idaho and that's lower than 31 states. The last time we saw a jump in minimum wage was back in 2008 when it was raised $0.70.

While Costco continues to lead the way with wages for employees, they're not alone. We've seen a massive jump in with Amazon, Target, and Best Buy who already hit the $15 mark.

Walmart gave 425,000 employees a raise that also raised the average wage to $15. All of those businesses are constantly hiring. Great news to share with someone looking.

Fun Fact: Costco's Hot Dog and Drink combo costs $1.50. It's been like that since 1985. Try to beat that.