Target raises minimum wage from $12 to $13

Target on Thursday raised the minimum wage of all their employees from $12 to $13 an hour.

The raise will kick in in June and is part of the company’s pledge to raise their minimum wage to $15 by the end of 2020, the retailer said in a statement.

{mosads}The Minneapolis-based company in 2017 announced its plan to reach a $15 base wage and has been incrementally boosting it since.

Target’s Chief Human Resources Officer Melissa Kremer explained in a statement that investing in their staff helps the company.

“It takes a diverse, high-performing and engaged team to create experiences that make guests feel welcome and inspired, and keep them coming back,” Kremer said. “So investing in our team members is essential to keep our business growing and thriving.”

The raise comes as nationwide unemployment remains low, which is pressuring employers to increase wages to attract and keep qualified staff.

Despite companies like Target and Amazon, and states, including New Jersey and Illinois, taking concrete steps toward a $15 minimum wage, the federal minimum has remained at $7.25 an hour since 2009.

Congressional Democrats rolled out a plan earlier this year seeking to more than double the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2024.