Privately held Hobby Lobby, a chain of arts and crafts stores based in Oklahoma City, and with an outlet in Cape Girardeau, has announced it will raise its minimum full-time hourly wage to $18.50 per hour effective Jan. 1.
Seven years ago, the company raised the hourly minimum to $15.
The government-mandated minimum wage in Missouri will rise to $11.15 per hour next month.
"We have a long track record of taking care of our employees," said David Green, Hobby Lobby founder and CEO.
"In 1998, we made the decision to close our stores on Sundays and at 8 p.m. the rest of the week to provide employees time for rest, family and worship. We've also worked hard to provide the best pay and benefits in retail, which has allowed us to attract and retain an outstanding group of associates to serve our devoted customers."
Hobby Lobby, with 956 retail stores, was founded in 1972.
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