Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative

How Philadelphia’s Minimum Wage Compares With Other U.S. Cities

The notion of raising Pennsylvania’s minimum wage—and thereby Philadelphia’s—has been a topic of considerable debate over the past year, both in the state Legislature and elsewhere. As of Jan. 1, 2020, Philadelphia’s minimum wage was $7.25 an hour, where it has remained since 2009.

The potential economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Philadelphia is only just beginning to take shape. Locally, some sectors are being hit harder than others—and among them are several in which the jobs of city residents are concentrated.

Every spring since 2009, The Pew Charitable Trusts has gathered data from numerous sources for our “State of the City” report on Philadelphia. But this year, because of COVID-19, the findings must be seen in a different light.

How Will the COVID-19 Pandemic Affect Philadelphia's Underfunded Retirement System?

The COVID-19 pandemic will have a vast and far-reaching impact on cities’ budgets, in terms of both reduced revenues from a widely shuttered economy and increased expenditures for essential services. And in Philadelphia, those expenses include financing the underfunded retirement plan for city workers.