09.26.07
Austin boosts pay for bi-lingual employees
The Austin City Council has set aside money in next year’s city budget to offer incentive pay to employees that speak Asian languages. Council Member Jennifer Kim says those employees that are called upon to serve as translators when dealing with the public should receive extra pay for their extra work.
Kim says the changing demographics of Austin mean there will be an increased need for city employees who speak Vietnamese, Korean, or other Asian languages. “The market is becoming more diverse. The Asian-American population is about 7% of Austin and is the fastest-growing ethnic population.”