Category: wage

Walgreens Plans No Further Wage Hikes for Pharmacists as Shortage Eases

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. said it does not plan to increase wages further, as a shortage of pharmacists eases after the company doubled down on hiring and pay raises last year. A labor shortage during the pandemic prompted Walgreens and other U.S. drugstore operators, including CVS Health Corp. and Walmart Inc., to raise minimum wages…


Starbucks Adds Benefits for Non-Union US Workers

NEW YORK—Starbucks announced new student loan repayment tools and a savings account program for all U.S. employees who are not union members, the company said on Monday, amid a growing union drive and soaring demand for coffee. The move came ahead of the chain’s annual Investor Day on Tuesday, when it laid out next year’s…


Inflation Weighs on Back-to-School Buying for Many Families

NEW YORK—To understand the impact of surging inflation on this year’s back-to-school spending, look no further than children’s rain boots with motifs like frogs and ladybugs made by Washington Shoe Co. Spending held steady for these evergreen items even after the Kent, Washington-based business was forced to pass along 15 percent price increases in January…


Bank of America Raises Hourly Minimum Wage to $22

NEW YORK—Bank of America Corp. said it was raising its U.S. minimum hourly wage to $22 on Monday, a step closer to its promise of paying workers $25 an hour by 2025. The second-largest U.S. bank by assets has been steadily raising its minimum hourly wage since 2017, when it was $15, and has been…


Amazon France Unions Reject Wage Increase Proposal on Last Day of Talks

PARIS—Most unions at U.S. e-commerce giant Amazon’s French arm rejected the company’s 2022 pay proposal on the final day of talks, but no immediate industrial action is planned, union representatives said. A group unions had proposed a 5 percent pay increase to compensate for a sharp rise in inflation in France. The company, meanwhile, offered…


Lyft Ties up With Payfare to Hike Fuel Cashback in Bid to Retain Drivers

Lyft Inc.’s Lyft Direct cardholders will receive an increase in cashback rewards of 4 percent to 5 percent on purchase of gasoline until June 30, the ride-hailing firm said on Monday, its latest move to retain drivers amid a rise in fuel prices. Chief Executive Officer Marco Margiotta said the higher cashback in partnership with…


Firms See Increasing Labor Shortages and Wage Pressures: Bank of Canada Survey

OTTAWA—Canadian firms see labor shortages intensifying and wage pressure increasing, with strong demand growth and supply chain constraints putting upward pressure on prices, a regular Bank of Canada survey said on Monday. The central bank’s Business Outlook Survey Indicator reached its highest level on record in the fourth quarter, which was conducted before the Omicron…


Liberals’ Wage Subsidy Extension to Push Program Costs to $107 Billion, PBO Says

OTTAWA—The parliamentary budget officer says the federal government’s plan to extend its wage subsidy will push the overall price for the program to almost $106.7 billion. The budget officer’s report released this morning estimates that the majority, about $4.8 billion, in subsidies will flow to businesses that continue to see a steep, and persistent drop…


Fed Report Shows Wage Pressures Amid ‘Modest to Moderate’ Economic Growth

U.S. employers reported significant increases in prices and wages even as economic growth decelerated to a “modest to moderate” pace in September and early October, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday in its latest compendium of reports about the economy. “Outlooks for near-term economic activity remained positive, overall, but some Districts noted increased uncertainty and…


Hungary PM Orban Flags Further Wage Hikes Ahead of 2022 Election

BUDAPEST—Hungary will raise nurses’ salaries by 21 percent from January and plans to lift the monthly minimum wage to 200,000 forints ($644), Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio on Friday. Orban, who faces elections next year, said talks on the minimum wage hike were still underway. The government will cut taxes for businesses if…