The minimum wage in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County is now $15.96 per hour as of July 1, per the county’s minimum wage ordinance.

The ordinance applies to employees who perform at least two hours of work in a week within unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

Employers are required to post an updated bulletin of the new wage rate in a conspicuous place, and employees are afforded the protections of the county’s minimum wage ordinance regardless of their immigration or work status.

The rate increase, which amounts to a 6.4% increase over the previous $15 minimum wage, was determined by the county’s Chief Executive Office based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index earlier this year. It is the first increase calculated by the CEO following the automatic scheduled increases established upon the passage of the county’s minimum wage ordinance in 2016.

The ordinance is enforced by the L.A. County Office of Labor Equity at DCBA. Since the ordinance took effect in 2016, DCBA wage enforcement investigations have resulted in nearly $2.25 million in back pay and fines in cases involving more than 2,000 workers in Los Angeles County who were not paid the correct minimum wage.

DCBA staff are currently conducting on-site visits to businesses in unincorporated L.A. County to help clarify new wage laws and encourage full compliance.

Under the ordinance, employers and workers have complied with the annual increases to make the region a competitive ecosystem that supports fair work, pay and prosperity.

For information, visit dcba.lacounty.gov/minimum-wage or call (800)593-8222.