The Northern Marianas is set for another minimum wage increase, less than a month after a 50 cent an hour raise.
Saipan, CNMI Photo: Supplied
The Commonwealth Senate passed a bill last week which will effectively set the wage at the federal level of $7.25 per hour.
The CNMI Senate passed a bill foregoing the final two steps for the Commonwealth to increase the islands' minimum wage to $7.25 from the current $6.55 per hour.
It was planned to hike it by 50 cents next September and by 20 cents in September 2018.
The Senate, however, passed the measure with amendments last Wednesday that means the House of Representative would have to look at the amended legislation and approve them before the bill goes to Gov. Ralph Torres' desk for it to become law.
Mr Torres earlier urged the House and Senate to expedite the passage of the bill so the CNMI can urge more local and U.S. citizen workers to enter the workforce.
