Marketsmith raises its own minimum wage to 15 per hour

Marketsmith Inc. founder and CEO Monica Smith has been advocating the raise of the national minimum wage to $15.

Now, she’s putting her money where her mouth is, and her Cedar Knolls-based company is raising the pay of its lowest-income workers to $15 per hour.

“Three years ago, I found out firsthand about the struggles of low-income families,” Smith wrote on the data-driven marketing firm’s website. “Through my work with Camden Street School, I have seen what many low-income workers struggle with just to put food on the table. I support their fight and believe that people should be paid commensurately for their work. I wholeheartedly believe in this movement. We are doing our part by implementing wage standards at Marketsmith, and we challenge companies across the nation to do the same.”

Part of the move is focused on attracting young workers who are entering the workforce carrying loads of student debt, said Marketsmith Senior Vice President of Marketing Services Natalia Young.

“The idea is to foster these young talents and hopefully retain them for the long run,” she said. “Naturally, (Smith) wanted us to talk about it on our blog and social platforms, and she just felt that, before we could truly talk about it, she wanted to make sure that everybody here was on that level.”

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