Lynn Albright

Gap's pay pledge has gotten the attention of job seekers. After announcing plans in February to increase hourly wages to $10 by 2015, employment applications at the Gap and Old Navy chains have surged by at least 10 percent from a year earlier, the San Francisco-based company said. The clothing seller has seen applications increase across all of its brands — including Banana Republic and Athleta — though the effect has been especially striking at the lower-end Old Navy chain, where the number of job seekers had been declining.