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                Walmart, America's Largest Employer, Raises Pay

   by VOA News

   Walmart, the United States' largest retail company and the country's
   biggest private employer, announced Thursday it is raising the pay of
   about 40 percent of its workers.

   Five-hundred thousand Walmart employees will be paid at least $9 per
   hour starting in April, and $10 an hour by next February.

   The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.

   Walmart will also introduce training to give low-level employees the
   opportunity for promotion.

   Walmart, which operates thousands of discount department stores, has
   long been a target of criticism from labor groups for offering what
   they say is low-paying jobs with no benefits and little chance for
   advancement.

   The White House sent out a Twitter post Thursday congratulating Walmart
   for giving its workers a pay hike and again called on Congress to
   increase the federal minimum wage to at least $10.10 an hour.

   Some information for this report is from AP and AFP.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/walmart-wage-increase-for-some-employ
   ees/2651349.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/walmart-wage-increase-for-some-employees/2651349.html