Federal agencies were directed on Friday to raise the minimum wage for government employees to $15 an hour, The Hill reports. The rule will take full effect on Jan. 30.
The new pay guidance will impact close to 70,000 federal employees, "most of which work at the Departments of Agriculture, Defense and Veterans Affairs," Axios reports per the Office of Personnel Management. The largest share of employees currently making under $15 an hour work at the Department of Defense, Axios adds.
Just over 2 million federal workers are already earning at least $15 an hour, the Hill writes, according to OPM. The national minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
"As the largest employer in the country, how the federal government treats its workforce has real impact," said OPM director Kiran Ahuja, per Axios.
"This pay increase is an important step for the civilian men and women who support the military community and their families," added Gilbert Cisneros, Defense Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness.
The pay bump excludes the U.S. Postal Service and Postal Regulatory Commission, both of which fall outside OPM's purview.