LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – In a time where gas prices are soaring and necessities are becoming scarce, Little Rock city officials have decided to raise the minimum wage for city workers.

The Little Rock Board of Directors adopted a $15-per-hour minimum wage for all nonuniform, full-time city employees. The increase came Tuesday due to an amendment to the 2022 budget.

City officials said that the approval will take immediate effect, impacting nearly 100 employees. Officials added that city employees already at $15 per hour will also be adjusted upward based on equity policy.

Mayor Frank Scott Jr. thanked the Board for approving the measure and allowing city workers to have access to a “livable wage.”

“Improving quality of life is a foundational aspiration for my administration, and that applies not just to people who live in the city of Little Rock, but to those who work for the city of Little Rock as well,” Scott said.

“I want to thank to Board for their approval of this measure, which will have an immediate and tangible impact on some of our most financially vulnerable people, bringing them up to livable wage and making sure our city remains a competitive employer,” Scott added.