Subject: EMBARGOED: WEEKLY ADDRESS: Expanding Overtime Pay
From: White House Press Office<[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 20 May 2016 16:20:26 -0500

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

EMBARGOED UNTIL 6:00AM ET, SATURDAY, May 21, 2016

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*WEEKLY ADDRESS: Expanding Overtime Pay*

WASHINGTON, DC  In this week's address, President Obama discussed one of the single most important steps to help grow middle-class wages  expanding the number of workers who are eligible for the overtime that they have earned. Every week, millions of Americans work more than 40 hours but do not receive the overtime pay they deserve. This week, the Department of Labor finalized a rule to extend overtime protections to 4.2 million more Americans, which will boost wages for working Americans by $12 billion over the next 10 years. This action will not only mean a better life for more American families, but will also strengthen our economy across the board. The President emphasized the he will continue to build an economy where everyone gets a fair shot to get ahead. 

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov [ http://www.whitehouse.gov ] at 6:00AM ET, May 21, 2016. 

*Remarks of President Barack Obama as Delivered*

*Weekly Address*

*The White House*

*May 21, 2016*

Hi everybody. Last summer, I got a letter from a woman named Elizabeth Paredes from Tucson, Arizona. Elizabeth is the mom of a 3-year-old boy, and an assistant manager at a sandwich shop. She earns about $2,000 a month, and she routinely works some 50 hours a week, sometimes even more. But because of outdated overtime regulations, she doesnt have to be paid a dime of overtime. 

She wrote: Its not easy work and requires a lot of time away from my son at times I find [it's] not worth it. 

Things like the 40-hour workweek and overtime are two of the most basic pillars of a middle class life. But for all the changes weve seenin our economy, our overtime rules have only been updated once since the 1970s. Just once. In fact, forty years ago, more than 60 percent of workers were eligible for overtime based on their salaries. But today, that number is down to seven percent. Only seven percent of full-time salaried workers are eligible for overtime based on their income.

Thats why this week, my Administration took a step to help more workers get the overtime pay theyve earned. The Department of Labor finalized a rule to extend overtime protections to 4.2 million more Americans. Its a move that will boost wages for working Americans by $12 billion over the next 10 years. Were more than doubling the overtime salary threshold. And what that means is, most salaried workers who earn less than about $47,500 a yearwill qualify for overtime. Or, their employers can choose to give them a raise so that they earn more than $47,500. Or, if employers dont want to raise wages, they can let them go home after 40 hours and see their families or train for new jobs. Any way you slice it, its a win for working families. And were making sure that every three years, there will be an automatic update to this threshold  so that working families wont fall through the cracks for decades at a time ever again.

This is the single biggest step I can take through executive action to raise wages for the American people. It means that millions of hardworking Americans like Elizabeth will either get paid for working more than 40 hours, or theyll get more time with their families. Either way, they win. The middle class wins. And America wins.

We still have more work to do to make sure this economy works for everybody, not just those at the top. Thats why Ill never stop fighting for as long as I hold this office  to restore the sense that in America, hard work should be rewarded with the chance to get ahead. 

Thanks everybody. Have a great weekend. 

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