Local business officials say they were not unduly affected by afederal minimum wage increase July 3 that boosted pay by almost 75cents an hour.

“I think it’ll be pretty much the same as in the past,” saidGene Rushing, owner of the Piggly Wiggly on Monticello Street.

The Federal Minimum Wage bill that took effect earlier thismonth increased the hourly rate by 70 cents, from $5.15 to$5.85.

The minimum wage will increase by $2.10 in a three-year span.The bill also established additional raises to $6.55 in the summerof 2008 and to $7.25 in the summer of 2009.

This year’s increase is the first since 1997.

Catherine Batson, owner of Betty Ann’s, said the increase willhave no effect on her business.

“(My employees) are all over minimum wage,” she said.

Batson said she supported the increase.

“Everything else is going up,” she said. “Why shouldn’t minimumwage?”

Rushing said very few of his employees will be affected by thepay hike.

“Most of our employees are above that minimum anyway,” hesaid.

Piggly Wiggly pays employees on a sliding scale, where merit andseniority are major factors, he said.

In most cases, only high school students working summer jobs andnew employees receive minimum wage. The wage is increased after thenew employees work through a probationary period.

Jordan Madison, a sophomore at Copiah Academy, has been workingat Piggly Wiggly as a cart pusher and stocker for three weeks. Heworks an average of 25 hours a week.

“It’s something I want to do and kind of have to do,” hesaid.

His parents encouraged him get a job to pay for gas for his carand to have money to spend on outings with friends, Madison said.However, his primary goal is to save up enough to improve hiscar.

“It will help me save up more money and make it quicker,” hesaid about the higher pay.