Fifth Circuit Upholds Minimum Wage Rate for Federal Contractors
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently found the Biden administration operated within its authority when it raised the minimum wage for federal contractors to $15 per hour in 2022 . This represents a relatively rare win for Biden administration policies in the Fifth Circuit, which has jurisdiction in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Quick Hits The Fifth Circuit upheld the Biden administration’s executive order increasing the minimum wage for federal contractors to $15 per hour in 2022. The Fifth Circuit overturned a lower court’s decision in favor of three states that had challenged the rule. As of January 1, 2025, the minimum wage for federal contractors is $17.75 per hour. On February 4, 2025, the Fifth Circuit upheld the Biden administration’s $15 minimum wage for federal contractors. A three-judge panel ruled that this minimum wage rule was permissible under federal law, thereby reversing a previous federal district court ruling. In February 2022, Louisiana, Mississipp...