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Show hours for a new employee. Minimum wage for students (under 18 years of age) is $2.55/hour. SOCIAL POLICY Minimum Wages in Utah In a workshop at the Utah Issues conference this year, I learned some interesting and little known information about minimum wages in Utah. I also asked the Industrial Commission of Utah to send me more information on the subject, and I will share with you what I have learned. For those employees who receive tips, minimum wage is $2.06/hour. Inexperienced workers may be paid $1.99/hour and students may be paid $1.91/hour. Again, this law only applies to women and minors. For example, some private clubs in Utah not covered by federal minimum wage standards will only_hire men as waiters, with tips being the sole source of income. This is perfectly legal under current law. There are 6,762 job openings in Utah which are not covered by the federal minimum wage standard, which has been $3.35/hour since 1981. These job openings represent 8.7J of total job openings in Utah, a majority of which are found in clerical/sales, service occupations, and agriculture occupations. Other jobs offering less than minimum wage are found in professional/technical, processing, machine trades, benchwork, structural work, and miscellaneous occupations. For towns under 5,000 peop 1 e, the Utah minimum wage is even lower. Experienced workers must be paid at least $2.50/hour, inexperienced workers paid $2.40/hour and students at least $2.30/hour. For workers who receive tips, the minimum wages are $1.87, $1.80, and $1.72 with regard to experience and age. The following table illustrates minimum wage progression in Utah for the Wasatch Front and smaller towns: Of the 6,762 job openings offering less than federal minimum wage, the following wages are paid per hour: less than $ 1. 50 $1.50 - . 1.99 $2.00 - 2.49 $2.50 - 2.99 $3.00 - 3.34 Total 46 57 337 1,897 4,425 5,000+ 0-5,000 1979 1980 1981 $2.30 $2.45 2.20 $2.60 2.35 $2.75 2.50 2.05 The Utah minimum wage has significant bearing when discussing poverty in this state, especially with regard to selfsufficiency efforts. It is extremely difficult to support a family on $3.35/hour, and probably impossible on $2.75 or less an hour. 6,762 Although many jobs are not covered by the federal minimum wage, many occupations are protected by the Utah minimum wage. However, the Utah minimum wage applies only to women and minors. If a man's job is not protected by the federal law, he can seek no wage protection in Utah. Those occupations protected for women and minors by state law are small retail trade; public housekeeping; cleaning, pressing and dyeing; and restaurant positions. Senator Frances Farley will be introducing a bill in the next legislative session to alleviate the above problems. She will propose that men be covered under the Utah minimum wage law, the wage apply statewide, and the state minimum wage be tied to the federal wage. There is some speculation, however, that the bill may have difficulty passing because of opposition from business interests. For cities and towns in Utah with more than 5,000 population, the minimum wage is $2.75/hour for experienced workers. Inexperienced workers may be paid $2.65/hour, but only for the first 80 Salt Lake Voter 1978 Shery 1 Gillilan Social Policy Chair -7- ., January 1988 |
