JMU adopts living wage for full-time employees

James Madison University has adopted a living wage for its full-time employees. A total of 109 employees’ paychecks were larger than usual today as those who were earning less than $24,960 per year had their wages adjusted to meet the living wage standard. 

JMU determined the living wage using information published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. MIT determined the living wage for a single adult in Rockingham County to be $11.38 per hour. Those JMU employees who received the living wage increase now earn $12 per hour. 

“Our employees are our most valuable asset. They take so much pride in the services they provide to our students each and every day,” said Charlie King, senior vice president of Administration and Finance. “This living wage increase is an important part of the university’s commitment to its people and community.” 

The annual cost to the university of the living wage increase is $75,263, while the average increase per employee is $690. The increases come on top of pay increases of 3% for instructional, administrative and professional faculty and 2.75% increases for all classified employees and an additional 2.25% for classified employees with three or more consecutive years of employment. Raises were also provided for wage and student employees as well as adjunct faculty. 

According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, a living wage is the hourly rate that an individual must earn to cover food, health insurance, housing, transportation and other basic necessities. MIT estimates these costs, as well as income and payroll taxes, to determine the minimum employment earnings necessary to meet an individual’s basic needs while also maintaining self-sufficiency. The hourly rate is calculated using a 2,080-hour work year.

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