Atlanta Ordinance 13-O-1325 requires city contractors and certain subcontractors to pay a living wage above federal minimum, but the rule applies only to firms holding city contracts, not private hotels.
Atlanta enacted its Living Wage Ordinance (Ord. 13-O-1325, codified in Chapter 2 Article X) in 2013, requiring service contractors holding contracts above a threshold value with the City of Atlanta to pay covered employees a wage above the federal $7.25 minimum. The rate is reviewed periodically and tied to a regional living-wage benchmark. Coverage extends to direct contractors and certain subcontractors performing work on city property or for city projects. Unlike Los Angeles or Long Beach, Atlanta does not impose a hotel-specific living wage on private hotels, because Georgia state law (OCGA §34-4-3.1) preempts local minimum-wage ordinances applied beyond the city's own contracting role.
Contractors who fail to pay the living wage owe back wages plus interest and may be barred from future city contracts. Atlanta Procurement may also terminate the contract. Workers may bring private claims for unpaid wages.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta hotel and short-term-rental stays are taxed at 8.9 percent total: 4 percent City of Atlanta hotel tax plus 3 percent Georgia state sales tax, GA Worl...
Atlanta, GA
Georgia OCGA §34-4-3.1 expressly preempts cities including Atlanta from setting a minimum wage above the state rate, and the state minimum aligns with the fe...
See how Atlanta's hotel living wage rules stack up against other locations.
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