The Office of Personnel Management OPM said that the minimum wage for government employees will be raised to $15 an hour, which will affect 70,000 federal employees, most of whom are employed at the Departments of Defense, Agriculture and Veteran Affairs.
President Biden said strong unions and higher wages could reshape America's middle class while helping bridge economic and racial inequities were a priority in his presidential campaign.
In the last year, Biden issued an executive order raising wages of federal contract workers to $15 an hour.
Kiran Ahuja, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, said in a statement that the federal government should increase pay rates to minimum of $15 per hour to reflect our appreciation for the federal workforce and our values as a nation.
OPM has asked agencies to implement the new wage by January 30, and it excludes the U.S. The statement said that the Postal Service and the Postal Regulatory Commission were involved.