Target To Raise Minimum Wage To $15 By 2020

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Every Target employee will make $15 an hour or more by the end of 2020, the company announced Monday. In the short term, everyone working for the corporation will be making at least $11 an hour by October.

“Target has a long history of investing in our team members. We care about and value the more than 323,000 individuals who come together every day with an absolute commitment to serving our guest,” said CEO Brian Cornell in a statement. “Target has always offered market competitive wages to our team members."

He continued: "With this latest commitment, we’ll be providing even more meaningful pay, as well as the tools, training and support our team needs to build their skills, develop professionally and offer the service and expertise that set Target apart.” (For more national stories, subscribe to the Across America Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, though many states have set a higher minimum wage above this floor.

Target has more than 320,000 employees worldwide and more than 1,800 stores in the United States. It plans to hire around 100,000 people for the upcoming holiday season, all of whom will be affected by the newest wage bump.

Nationally, the push for a federal $15 minimum wage has gained momentum in recent years. The "Fight for 15" has had multiple successes at the state and local levels by encouraging governments and municipalities to phase in higher minimum wages within their boundaries, including Seattle, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

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