Private sector employees in industries covered by the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 are set to receive a 40 cent increase in their hourly wage September 30.
The last wage increase, also of 40 cents, was on September 30, 2021. Under the current minimum wage law, the covered industries are to increase the hourly wage by 40 cents at three year intervals until the local minimum wage reaches the federal minimum wage.
Current minimum wages range from $5.38/hour for Garment Manufacturing to $6.79/hour for Shipping and Transportation.
Come September 30, the largest private sector employer in the territory, StarKist Samoa, will be paying $6.36/hour, an increase from the current hourly wage of $5.96.
Construction, which is a growing business in the territory, will pay $6.70 an hour.
Here are the rest of the industries covered by the minimum wage law and the new hourly rates effective September 30:
- Bottling, Brewing and Dairy Products-$6.29
- Finance and Insurance-$7.09
- Garment Manufacturing-$5.78
- Hotel-$6.10
- Petroleum Marketing-$6.95
- Printing-$6.60
- Private Hospitals and Educational Institutions-$6.43
- Publishing-$6.73
- Retailing, Wholesaling & Warehousing-$6.20
- Ship Maintenance-$6.61
- Shipping and Transportation
- Stevedoring, Lighterage & Maritime Activities-$7.19
- Unloading of Fish-$7.02
- All other activities-$6.98
- Tour and Travel-$6.58
- Miscellaneous Activities-$5.80
The rates are minimum rates; an employer may choose to pay an employee at a rate higher than the industry-specific rate.
The law also covers the minimum wage for government employees which, under the schedule of incremental 40 cent increases, would be $6.01 per hour on September 30. However, ASG raised the hourly minimum wage for its employees to $7.25 a few years ago.
