Issues - Economy - Minimum Wage

(NYT) -- Walmart, the largest private employer in the country, said on Thursday that it would increase wages for a half-million employees, a move that comes amid persistent scrutiny of its labor practices and high employee turnover.

The retail giant, which for years has been the target of widespread criticism over its low pay structure and increasing reliance on part-time workers, said that all of its United States workers would earn at least $9 an hour by April and at least $10 by next February.

While the company said about 40 percent of its work force, including those at the wholesale Sam’s Club outlets, would be affected, many of those raises will amount to much less than a dollar an hour more. About 6,000 employees receive the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour. Walmart says its part-time workers already earn an average wage of $9.48, and full-timers an average of $12.85.

(WSJ) -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is increasing the pressure on suppliers to cut the cost of their products, in an effort to regain the mantle of low-price leader and turn around its sluggish U.S. sales. The retailing behemoth says it has been telling suppliers to forgo investments in joint marketing with the retailer and plow the savings into lower prices instead.

With the heavy investments related to its promise to raise wages and the development of a vast e-commerce business, Wal-Mart has fewer options for chipping away at costs, putting suppliers in the cross hairs.

(Arkansas Online) -- Northwest Arkansas recruiting firm Cameron Smith & Associates is preparing its employees for "a surge of phone calls, emails and resumes" related to layoffs at the Wal-Mart Stores Inc. home office in Bentonville.

As many as 1,000 employees could be laid off at the home office, according to Cameron Smith of Cameron Smith & Associates, which specializes in working with Wal-Mart vendors and suppliers.

Wal-Mart employs more than 20,000 at its Bentonville headquarters. Wal-Mart employs more than 2 million worldwide and has more than 1.4 million employees in the U.S.