Ron’s Log (CC BY-ND 2.0)

In an effort to stave off criticism of its low wages, the United States’ largest private employer announced Thursday that it will raise the pay of half a million workers to $9 an hour in the next six months.

The Guardian reports:

Workers will make at least $9 an hour, $1.75 above the federal minimum wage. By February of next year, the company says it will pay its workers at least $10 an hour. The wage hike is part of a $1bn investment in staff that also includes a new approach to hiring, training and managing.

The new wage falls short of the $15 an hour that many Walmart workers have been demanding over the past year. It also falls short of the White House proposal of a $10.10 minimum wage. Walmart has previously said that it does not oppose a minimum wage increase to $10.10 as long as it is not targeted exclusively at large retailers.

“These changes will give our US associates the opportunity to earn higher pay and advance in their careers. We’re pursuing a comprehensive approach that is sustainable over the long term,” Walmart chief executive Doug McMillon said in a statement.

Read more here.

— Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.

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