Recently, the Los Angeles City Council approved a motion to amend the Living Wage Ordinance (LWO) and the Hotel Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance (HWMO), which will impact airport and hospitality workers, respectively. On December 11, 2024, the City Council approved a draft ordinance and directed the City Attorney to prepare a formal draft ordinance for the City Council’s final approval. The ordinance will likely be finalized in early 2025.
Currently, the LWO for airport employees is $19.28 per hour or 25.23 if health benefits are not provided and the HWMO is $20.32 per hour.
The draft ordinance proposes an annual increase of the hourly wage under the LWO and HWMO as follows
| Date | Rate |
| July 1, 2025 | $22.50 |
| July 1, 2026 | $25.00 |
| July 1, 2027 | $27.50 |
| July 1, 2028 | $30.00 |
The draft ordinance also provides for a health payment of $8.35 an hour commencing on July 1, 2025. This is an increase from the current $5.95 per hour under the LWO and would be a new benefit for most hotel workers. The health care benefit for hotel workers would be applied as it is under the LWO. And then starting July 1, 2026, the health care benefit would be adjusted by the percentage increase, if any, in the California Department of Managed Healthcare’s Large Group Aggregate Rates report.
Jackson Lewis will continue to track this and other local ordinances affecting California employers. If you have questions on the changes coming to the City of Los Angeles Living Wage Ordinance and Hotel Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance, contact a Jackson Lewis attorney to discuss.