Living Wage

Print

Font Size: + -

Proud to Pay Living Wage The City has created a Living Wage registry and emblem to recognize employers who choose to pay their employees a minimum wage that exceeds the federal standard.

City officials believe this higher minimum pay rate mirrors a living wage, making it easier for working-class employees to take care of themselves and their families.

Missouri law does not allow cities to create a different minimum wage than the one used in the rest of the state, thus the need to establish a voluntary program for employers.

To highlight businesses that choose to adopt this wage, the City has created a registry to apply for a Living Wage sticker that can be publicly displayed. The registry is administered by the City Clerk’s Office. You can search for employers that are participating. You can search by business name, address, phone number, email address, or NAICS code. For questions, contact the Clerk’s Office by email or at (816) 513-3360.

A living wage is the minimum income necessary for workers to meet their basic needs, which include food, housing and other essential needs such as clothing. The goal is to allow a worker to afford a basic but decent standard of living. Due to the flexible nature of the term ‘needs,’ there is not one universally accepted measure of what a living wage is so it varies by location and household type.

The living wage differs from the minimum wage in that the latter is set by national law and can fail to meet the requirements to have a basic quality of life, leaving the family to rely on government assistance. In economic terms, the living wage is similar to the minimum wage as it is a price floor for labor. It differs somewhat from basic needs in that the basic needs model usually measures a minimum level of consumption, without regard for the source of the income.