More on Minimum Wage and Portland Start-up News

Last Friday our post included some discussion of Oregon's minimum wage. The minimum wage has been capturing headlines nationally and in various states. Two reports from CNN suggest that the impact of the minimum wage should be considered in tandem with the number of hours worked by those earning minimum wage, and the educational attainment of these workers.

Some minimum wage workers, particularly in the leisure and hospitality industry, indicate in one article that they would like to work more hours per week. The CNN story notes that the number of those at all wage levels working part-time for economic reasons -- meaning they preferred full-time work but could not get it -- surged during the Great Recession to twice the level seen in the prior decade. A second story from CNN notes that the number of minimum wage workers with associates degrees, or in occupational programs, more than doubled to 223,000 from 2007. The number of college graduates in minimum wage jobs also doubled during the recession to 284,000 in 2012 from 2007.

In other news, Portland start-up OpenSesame plans to add between six and 10 new employees this year. The company, which provides an online marketplace for instructional courses on professional skills, recently announced that it has raised $8 million in new investment backing its efforts. You can find more details from The Oregonian.