In 2020, local non-profit Orange County Living Wage announced the figure of $14.90 an hour to be its official guideline for compensation meant to provide local workers with the resources necessary to cover basic needs. In 2021, that figure has risen to $15.40
The cost of rent, utilities, food, transportation and childcare in an area all contribute to exactly a “living wage” means for full and part-time employees. The federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour, has not been changed since July 24, 2009.
OCLW calculation uses the Universal Living Wage formula based on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s standard, which states that no more than 30 percent of a person’s gross income should be devoted to housing. OCLW adapts this framework to consider the average cost of a one-bed apartment in Orange, Alamance, Chatham, and Durham Counties.
According to OCLW, the Orange County living wage has increased annually by an average of 3 percent to keep up with the rising cost of housing. The 222 businesses on OCLW’s current roster employ more than 9500 local employees.
“During the pandemic, Orange County’s living wage employers are not unique in their day-to-day struggles to stay in business – with one exception,” says Susan Romaine, director of OCLW. “Making payroll will always be harder for the 222 employers on our roster who pay their employees a living wage. Let us support these employers by giving them our business and our thanks for making this critical investment in their workforce.”
Learn more about Orange County Living Wage, check out the organization’s new job board listing openings with living wage employers, or apply to become a certified living wage employer by visiting the organization’s website.
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