Hennepin County Loses Its Own Federal Wage-Area Status
Published Date: 6/2/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
The Office of Personnel Management wants to stop treating Hennepin, Minnesota, as its own special wage area for certain federal jobs because fewer people work there now. Instead, most counties will join nearby wage areas, and those without jobs won’t be assigned at all. This change helps keep pay fair and up-to-date, with comments open until July 2, 2025.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Abolish Hennepin NAF wage area
OPM proposes to abolish the Hennepin, Minnesota, nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area and define Hennepin County as an area of application to the Grand Forks, North Dakota, NAF wage area. Currently there are 18 NAF FWS employees at the Minneapolis‑St. Paul Air Reserve Station and 17 NAF FWS employees at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center; OPM expects this rulemaking to impact approximately 98 NAF FWS employees overall. The change would take effect on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after 30 days following publication of the final rule.
Morrison and Stearns reassigned to Grand Forks
OPM proposes to redefine Morrison and Stearns Counties, Minnesota, as areas of application to the Grand Forks, North Dakota, NAF wage area. The document states there are currently 6 NAF FWS employees in Morrison County and 6 NAF FWS employees in Stearns County who work outside the original survey area.
Monroe County moved to Lake, Illinois area
Although Monroe County, Wisconsin, meets regulatory criteria to be its own NAF survey area, OPM is defining Monroe County as an area of application to the Lake, Illinois, NAF wage area. The document reports 51 NAF FWS employees currently work in Monroe County.
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Key Dates
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