Obama administration uses final weeks to push for higher minimum wage

WASHINGTON — With only weeks left in office, President Obama's administration has continued to advocate for a higher federal minimum wage.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez on Monday pushed for a minimum wage increase at a pizza chain in Washington called &pizza. The restaurant has grown from one location four years ago to 19 locations today. It pays well above the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

“We're proof that paying people a healthy wage is not only the right thing to do, but also smart business,” said Michael Lastoria, the owner of &pizza.

Four states voted this year to raise their minimum wages, but the federal minimum wage has not changed since 2009.

During the campaign, President-elect Donald Trump said he would like to see a higher minimum wage. But he told NBC’s "Meet the Press" in May that any change should come at the state level.

“I would like to see an increase of some magnitude, but I'd rather leave it to the states,” Trump told "Meet the Press."<

Critics of a higher minimum wage say it discourages employers from hiring.

Congressional Republicans did not mention the minimum wage in their legislative agenda.

Cox Media Group