Minimum wage workers in Minnesota will see an increase in wages to $11 by 2025. Minnesota currently has two hourly minimum wages. $10.85 for workers at large businesses and $8.85 for workers at small businesses.

But how would higher minimum wages impact Duluth employers? The City of Duluth’s Workforce Development Director Elena Foshay, says job seekers are looking for much more than higher wages.

“The thing they’re looking for, aside from good wage and benefits, is flexibility and investment in their own professional development. They really want an opportunity to grow,” Fohsay said. “To develop their skills and an employer who sees them as a valuable asset that they want to invest in. Most employers from the ones we interact with have paid far above minimum wage.”

Foshay says there’s been a shift in worker attitudes from the Millennials to Gen. Z. Current job seekers are looking for a quality job first.

“They want a job that pays enough to pay for a mortgage or rent or childcare or car insurance and so on. But it’s much more than that. A quality job is one that not just pays a good wage but also provides benefits so you can support your family. Minimum wage does not align with cost of living. Employers wanna be competitive, they wanna attract workers, and so they know that wage is certainly a part of that.”

The City of Duluth’s Workforce Development is hosting a job fair next Wednesday, Sept. 4th from 2pm-4pm at 402 West 1st Street. They will be offering resume writing, and job application support during the job fair. For more information at about the Duluth Workforce Development you can read more here. Also for other stories about employment you can read more here.