Hobby Lobby announced Tuesday that it's raising its minimum wage to $18.50 an hour effective Jan. 1.
Full-time hourly employees would receive the new hourly raise, which was increased from $17 an hour, the Oklahoma City-based company said in a press release.
“We have a long track record of taking care of our employees,” said Hobby Lobby founder and CEO David Green in a news release. “In 1998, we made the decision to close our stores on Sundays, and at 8 p.m. the rest of the week, to provide employees time for rest, family, and worship. We’ve also worked hard over the years to provide the best pay and benefits in retail, which has allowed us to attract and retain an outstanding group of associates to serve our devoted customers.”
The arts and crafts company said it had raised its minimum wages 12 times over the last 13 years.
“We are thankful for our success as a company and thrilled to begin the new year by sharing that success with thousands of our employees,” Green added.
In 2014, the company raised its full-time minimum hourly wage to $15.
According to the Department of Labor, the current federal minimum wage in the US is $7.25 per hour.
