T-Mobile US CEO Mike Sievert (pictured) announced a company-wide minimum wage policy, stating all domestic employees will earn at least $20 per hour.

In a blog post, Sievert explained the new policy will apply to full- and part-time staff, and most employees already earn more than $20 per hour.

The operator reported 75,000 employees in April and told Bloomberg it lost a significant number during the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Sievert described the current environment as “a job-seekers’ market”, with stiff competition to “keep and find top talent”. He noted T-Mobile had implemented a number of programmes to attract and retain staff, including annual stock grants and funding for education.

The operator increased customer care staff remuneration earlier this year and subsequently experienced a surge in weekly application numbers, Sievert stated.

Much of rival AT&T’s staff are union members, meaning wages are negotiated.

T-Mobile’s US headquarters in Seattle face competition for staff from big names including Amazon and Microsoft.

Amazon offers a $15 per hour minimum wage and announced plans for an $18 fee for new starters.

Nationwide, the minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.

US employers are under pressure to raise wages to meet increases in the cost of living: the US Bureau of Labour Statistics reported a 6.8 per cent increase in the items price index, the most commonly tracked measure of US inflation, in the 12 months to November, the biggest increase since 1982.