$15 wage, tech giants’ profits

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$15 wage becoming a norm as employers struggle to fill jobs

WASHINGTON (AP) — The signs and banners are dotted along suburban commercial strips and hanging in shop windows and restaurants, evidence of a new desperation among America’s service-industry employers: “Now Hiring, $15 an hour.” It is hardly the official federal minimum wage — at $7.25, that level hasn’t been raised since 2009 — but for many lower-skilled workers, $15 an hour has increasingly become a reality. Businesses, particularly in the restaurant, retail and travel industries, have been offering up a $15 wage to try to fill enough jobs to meet surging demand from consumers who are increasingly traveling, shopping, attending entertainment events and eating out.

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Tech profits soared as the COVID-19 pandemic began to fade

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Three tech companies that have amassed unparalleled influence while reshaping the way we live released strong earnings results in a…

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