WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following calls from U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), President Barack Obama and the Department of Labor (DOL) announced a plan to expand the number of workers eligible for overtime pay. Currently, the overtime salary threshold is $23,660 annually. Under the new rule, workers earning $50,440 annually will be eligible for overtime pay.

“While wages for American workers have stagnated, hours spent on the job have increased,” said Brown. “When workers put in the extra time, it should be reflected in their pay. It’s past time to give more middle-class workers the opportunity to earn overtime pay. This will lift up our middle class and boost our economy.”

According to the White House, nearly five million workers – including 160,000 in Ohio – will be newly eligible for overtime pay within the first year of implementation.

In January, Brown joined a group of 25 Senators in calling on the White House to increase the overtime pay threshold to include workers earning $1,090 per week and index the overtime threshold to inflation.

 

 

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