This new Labor Department rule would give 1.1 million more people overtime pay


This is what you may have missed while waiting for Paul Manafort's sentencing.
On Thursday, the Labor Department unveiled a big change to the overtime pay system, raising the current threshold of salaried workers who must receive time-and-a-half to $35,308. That's a big jump from the current cutoff, but far lower than what former President Barack Obama's administration wanted, Politico notes.
Right now, workers making less than $23,660 per year must be paid time-and-a-half if they work over 40 hours in a week. The new proposal from the Trump administration would extend that guarantee to an additional 1.1 million Americans, but has yet to take effect, Politico says. It could face legal challenges from labor advocates who say it does too little or from employers who say it goes too far, writes HuffPost. The plan aligns with Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta's promise to overhaul the overtime level last set in 2004 — something he highlighted in a statement on Friday.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The DOL under Obama introduced a loftier measure in 2016, which raised the overtime threshold to $47,476 and set up a system where that number would rise with inflation. A judge in a Texas federal court struck down the change in December 2016.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
The app tackling porn addiction
Under the Radar Blending behavioural science with cutting-edge technology, Quittr is part of a growing abstinence movement among men focused on self-improvement
-
Magazine solutions - August 29, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - August 29, 2025
-
Magazine printables - August 29, 2025
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - August 29, 2025
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show