In a victory for workers, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to raise the minimum wage to $16.50 an hour, effective in spring 2023.
The measure approved 5-0 will apply to unincorporated areas including North Fair Oaks and its Middlefield Road commercial corridor and agricultural land stretching from Pacifica to Pescadero.
The chairman of the board, Don Horsley, who proposed the increase along with Supervisor Dave Pine, said the boost in paychecks will help stimulate the economy and serve as a support for families and individuals living in an increasingly expensive area.
“The pandemic has deliberately demonstrated that we have workers who are considered essential in a variety of industries, but who must choose between food, housing and other necessities just to make ends meet,” Horsley said.
“A vital, but often invisible, section of our workforce is the farmworkers who help put food on our tables. While some farmworkers earn more than minimum wage, this increase will ensure they have more money in their pockets each week,” she added.
Eleven of the county's 20 cities, representing more than 70 percent of the population, have already raised the minimum wage within their borders to a rate higher than the state's base wage.
The average minimum wage within cities that have instituted their own ordinances is just over $16.50 per hour as of 2023. Raising the minimum wage in unincorporated areas will create more consistency across jurisdictions.
“This ordinance will improve the lives of workers and their families,” Pine said. “When we improve the lives of local residents, we improve the stability and vitality of entire communities.”
Officials said they understand concerns that raising the base wage could pose challenges for small businesses already affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs of doing business.
However, they explained that raising the minimum wage countywide levels the playing field for all businesses, while improving the purchasing power of workers.
The increase approved Nov. 15 will take effect April 1, 2023, allowing time to educate the public and allow local businesses to adjust to the new requirement, the county said in a statement.
Wages in unincorporated communities would increase at the same rate as the state minimum wage each January 1.
In California, the minimum wage for all employers, regardless of size, will increase to $15.50 per hour on January 1, 2023, while at the federal level, the minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees is $7.25 per hour.
In cases where an employee is subject to both state and federal minimum wage laws, the employee is entitled to the higher of the two minimum wages.
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