Pennsylvania: Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti allocated $660,000 of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to support small business recovery from the COVID pandemic as well as to increase wages, which will eventually be fully supported by the businesses themselves. Wages will be increased after analysis of the state averages per position and industry. “Our wage boost program helps people working in Scranton earn a more livable wage, necessitated by more than just the challenges of the past few years. Pennsylvania’s minimum wage belongs in the 20th century; we must keep pushing the state legislature to increase the minimum wage and model the theory that increased wages can stabilize operations in a tight labor market and even enhance a business’s bottom line,” added Cognetti. Applications for grants are ongoing.