Amazon Announces $15 Minimum Wage for All US Employees

The change takes effect November 1 and applies to full-time, part-time and temporary workers. Amazon (AMZN) says the $15 minimum wage will benefit more than 250,000 Amazon employees, plus 100,000 seasonal workers.

"We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do, and decided we want to lead," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder and CEO. "We're excited about this change and encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us."

The change applies to Whole Foods and all other subsidiary employees.

Amazon also said its public policy team will begin lobbying for an increase in the federal minimum wage, which has been $7.25 an hour since 2009.

"We'll leave it to Congress and professionals to decide what the right number is," Dave Clark, the company's senior vice president of worldwide operations, told CNN's Christine Romans. "But for us, that number is $15."

The size and explosive growth of Amazon give the decision importance far beyond the hundreds of thousands of people who will benefit directly.

Amazon is among the largest employers in the United States, and it has added more American jobs in the past decade than any other company.

The decision also raises the stakes for potential workers at Amazon's next headquarters. The company is planning to create a second headquarters, known as HQ2, with as many as 50,000 jobs. Amazon has named 20 cities as finalists, including Atlanta, Chicago and Washington, D.C. 

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