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Here's something that would make Vickie Miner proud on the 20th anniversary of her promotion to manager at the Gap Reality Bites' debut: Gap is raising its minimum hourly wage to $9 this year and $10 next year. The increase will apply to all the company's brands, including Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime, and Athleta and is expected to affect 65,000 of its 90,000 employees in the US.
While it's a hot button, will-they-won't-they issue in Congress, Glenn Murphy, Gap's chief exec, insists that the bump is "not a political issue," in a letter to the company's employees. "To us, this is our decision to invest in front-line employees will directly support our business, and is one that we expect to deliver a return many times over." And because that denim wall isn't going to refold itself.
· Gap to Raise Minimum Hourly Pay [NYTimes]
· These Gap Slip-Ons Will Hold Me Over Until I Get Célines [Racked]