More Minnesota employers raise starting pay, eager to get rolling again

For Jon Halper, owner of Top Ten Liquors stores in the Twin Cities, there were lots of good reasons to boost starting wages from $12 to $15 an hour.

Sales have been strong, with the pandemic spurring a surge in alcohol consumption at home. He's got new stores on the horizon, and he wants to make sure the existing ones continue to offer good customer service. And then, there's the matter of finding workers.

"It's become very challenging to hire people in the environment we're in," Halper said. "So we felt we needed to make a move."

Top Ten Liquors is one of a number of companies increasing wages as they struggle to hire. Even as businesses ramp up again, the labor market still has a ways to go to heal from the pandemic with many workers still on the sidelines for various reasons.

Read more: https://www.startribune.com/more-minnesota-employers-raise-starting-pay-eager-to-get-rolling-again/600063178/