Bay Area minimum wage hike begins Jan. 1

Minimum wage workers in three of the Bay Area’s largest cities are set to get a raise in the New Year.

San Jose, Richmond and Oakland all have minimum wage ordinances that will hike salaries on Jan. 1, 2017.

Oakland’s wage will rise from $12.55 to $12.86 an hour and is for any worker who clocks two or more hours in a workweek, according to Oakland officials.

The minimum wage ordinance applies to full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal employees and is tied to the Consumer Price Index. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said:

“(A) gradual, uniform wage increase for the lowest-paid workers is the fiscally and morally responsible thing to do and will only improve the strength of Oakland’s individual businesses and overall economy.”

In Richmond, the minimum wage will rise from $11.52 an hour to $12.30 for workers who put in at least two hours in a week, according to city officials.

Employers who pay for fewer than 800 hours of employee labor in a given two-week period are exempt from Richmond’s ordinance.

In San Jose, the wage will increase from $10.30 to $10.40 an hour for all businesses that either maintain a facility in the city or that are subject to the city’s business tax.

Also, companies based elsewhere but whose workers do at least two hours of work per week inside the city limits must also pay the minimum wage, according to city officials.

The statewide minimum wage will increase from $10 an hour to $10.50 on Jan. 1.

In July, San Francisco’s minimum wage will hit $14 an hour and in October, Berkeley’s will rise to $13.75.