QCCC president: ‘Illinois businesses strapped with fewer revenues’
The Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce agrees. They’re requesting that the wage increase have a delay. This is so that Illinois-based businesses “already strapped with decreased revenues and new expenses related to COVID-19” do not have further negative impacts in relation to a minimum wage increase. “In the Quad Cities, businesses have already been hit hard by COVID-19 mitigations. Asking our Illinois small businesses to take on a third minimum wage increase in a year, especially as they continue to navigate an economy dampened by COVID-19, forces them into an unfeasible no-win situation,” Chamber President and CEO Paul Rumler said. A study by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute at the University of Illinois indicated that more than 1.4 million adult hourly workers in Illinois make less than $15 an hour. In Illinois’ neighboring states, the minimum wage is lower. In Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin, the minimum wage is $7.25. The wage goes up to $10.30 in Missouri on Jan. 1. Reporting by Kevin BesslerEditor’s Note: This article would receive a slight revision to be compliant with SEO requirements.
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