At $25 an hour, Swiss city adopts highest minimum wage in world

GENEVA (Gray News) - Workers in Geneva, Switzerland, may soon see a bigger paycheck after voters there agreed to unveil a $25 per hour minimum wage.

The minimum wage increase, which goes into effect Nov. 1, will reportedly benefit 30,000 workers, two-thirds of whom are women.

Government data shows nearly 60% of voters supported the new wage, which is believed to be the highest minimum wage worldwide. It was also approved by a group of labor unions focused on “fighting poverty, favoring social integration and contributing to the respect of human dignity.”

Geneva is the world’s 10th most expensive city to live in, according to a 2020 survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit. It placed behind such cities as Hong Kong, New York, Paris, Tokyo and Los Angeles.

The minimum wage in New York City is $15 an hour, and in Los Angeles, it is $13 an hour.