4.7 Percent of Texas Workers Received Lower Wages

According to U.S. Department of Labor’s study, 262,000 Texas workers received lower wages than the federal minimum wage last year. Statistics shows that about 4.7 percent of the state's hourly workers received lower wages, which is the seventh highest share in the nation.

But in San Antonio, it seems that the current situation is becoming harder. It’s harder to find workers who earn the low-end salary because the economy has performed well and because city government has promoted higher “living wages” for its employees and contractors.

Living wages are used as a guide by city administrators in establishing departmental salaries. But it often exceeds minimum wages by several dollars an hour, said Dan Williams, a human resources administrator for the city. As a result, all city employees are paid more than the current minimum wage. Thirty workers in the city's summer programs receive $7.25 an hour. This wage will not change until the labor law updates.

Yolanda Arellano, the executive director of the Texas Restaurant Association's San Antonio branch presents that restaurateurs were aware of the looming salary increases and may have cut back slightly on staff this summer as a result.