With the New Year comes a new minimum wage
Oregon’s lowest-paid workers are getting a pay raise. The state’s minimum wage rises 15 cents to $9.25 per hour. That’s an extra $234 a year for people working 30 hours a week. State analysts say the change could affect as many as 142,000 workers and 8 percent of all jobs in Oregon.
The Oregonian reports that Oregon’s minimum wage is second-highest in the nation, behind Washington at $9.45 an hour for next year. Oregon’s wage floor adjusts each year in line with inflation and will be $2 above the federal minimum in 2015.
Studies have shown that more than half of Oregon’s minimum wage jobs are tied to the leisure and hospitality sectors of the economy.
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Just over 73,000 Oregonians have enrolled in private health insurance through the federal website that replaced Cover Oregon’s failed portal.
The figures released Tuesday by the federal government show coverage that will begins today, January 1st.
Oregon’s enrollments for the start of 2015 fall slightly short of the 77,000 people who currently have coverage through the health insurance exchange.
Because of the switch to a federally run website, Oregonians who enrolled in 2014 were not automatically re-enrolled for next year. A Cover Oregon spokeswoman says it’s not clear how many people who signed up for coverage in the new year are currently covered.
About 79 percent of people who selected plans are receiving federal subsidies.
Oregonians can continue enrolling at HealthCare dot gov until February 15th, but coverage won’t begin immediately.
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The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting a 5.3 magnitude earthquake off the coast of northern California.
The USGS says the quake was centered in the Pacific Ocean, about 70 miles west of Ferndale, California, and struck about 4:16 a.m. PST Thursday. Ferndale is located just over 100 miles south of the Oregon state line and about 275 miles northwest of Sacramento.
An officer with the Ferndale City Police Department said some slight shaking was felt in the area early Thursday. He said no damage or injuries were reported.
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