Democratic Governor Tom Wolf has pushed for a $12 minimum wage in his 2017-18 budget, which is likely to run into opposition with the Republican-controlled legislature.
Local businesses point out that employers have to pay more than $7.25 an hour in order to attract good workers. WellSpan Health went from paying $8 to $9 an hour for entry level positions to $10.50 an hour two years ago and ultimately $11 an hour last year, said Bob Batory, senior vice president and chief human resources officer.
“We found we just couldn’t recruit the best people at those lower minimum rates,” Batory said. Businesses contend that to compete for the best talent they have had to gradually increase the minimum wage on their own. But they fear an increase to $12 an hour in one shot may be too much and force them to charge customers higher prices.