Alaska: Elimination of Minimum Wage Exemption

Alaska’s Department of Labor & Workforce Development has announced the elimination of subminimum wages for employees with disabilities. Paying the disabled under minimum wage has been permitted in the state of Alaska since 1978, but as of last Friday, it is no longer allowed. The state follows New Hampshire and Maryland’s lead in eliminating this minimum wage exemption. The belief that lower wages help those with disabilities gain employment no longer holds true with the past two decades showing success in their jobs with higher pay. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development exclaims this portion of the workforce “deserves minimum wage as much as any other Alaskan worker.”