The minimum wage will increase in nearly half the states this year even as the federal wage floor remains stuck at $7.25 per hour.
In many states, the minimum wage is automatically adjusted upward as inflation rises. But voters in several states, including deeply red ones such as Alaska and Missouri, chose in November to significantly increase their minimum wages this year.
kAm|:49:82? H:== D66 :ED >:?:>F> H286 ;F>A 7C@> S`_]bb E@ S`a]cg @? u63] a` 27E6C E96 DE2E6 $FAC6>6 r@FCE 4@?4=F565 E96 =68:D=2EFC6 DF3G6CE65 C6D:56?ED H96? :E 25@AE65 3FE E96? D:8?:7:42?E=J 2>6?565 G@E6C\:?:E:2E65 32==@E >62DFC6D :? a_`g E@ C2:D6 E96 >:?:>F> H286 2?5 >2?52E6 A2:5 D:4< E:>6]k^Am
kAm|:49:82?’D H286 7=@@C :D D6E E@ C:D6 E@ S`c]hf 3J a_ag � >@C6 E92? 5@F3=6 E96 7656C2= >:?:>F> H286[ H9:49 92D ?@E :?4C62D65 D:?46 a__h] %92E’D E96 =@?86DE A6C:@5 H:E9@FE 2 7656C2= :?4C62D6 D:?46 r@?8C6DD 7:CDE D6E 2 >:?:>F> H286 :? `hbg]k^Am
kAmp E@E2= @7 b_ DE2E6D 2?5 E96 s:DEC:4E @7 r@=F>3:2 92G6 D6E E96:C @H? >:?:>F> H286 9:896C E92? E96 7656C2= C2E6] p?5 ef =@42=:E:6D � :?4=F5:?8 s6?G6Cj u=28DE277[ pC:K@?2j 2?5 {@D p?86=6D � 92G6 C2:D65 E96:C >:?:>F> H286 23@G6 E96 DE2E6 >:?:>F>[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 t4@?@>:4 !@=:4J x?DE:EFE6[ 2 =67E\=62?:?8 E9:?< E2?<]k^Am
kAmrFCC6?E=J[ `_ DE2E6D 92G6 2 >:?:>F> H286 @7 S`d @C 9:896Ci r2=:7@C?:2[ r@??64E:4FE[ s6=2H2C6[ x==:?@:D[ |2CJ=2?5[ |2DD249FD6EED[ }6H y6CD6J[ }6H *@C<[ #9@56 xD=2?5 2?5 (2D9:?8E@?]k^Am
kAmp=2D<2[ u=@C:52[ w2H2::[ |:DD@FC: 2?5 }63C2D<2 2C6 @? EC24< E@ C6249 E96 S`d 36?49>2C< :? E96 4@>:?8 J62CD] $F49 >@G6>6?E :? C65 DE2E6D D9@F=5 AC@>AE #6AF3=:42?D H9@ 4@?EC@= r@?8C6DD 2?5 E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 E@ >@G6 E96 ?2E:@?2= H286 7=@@C[ 2C8F65 #:492C5 G@? v=29?[ E96 A@=:E:42= 5:C64E@C 2E E96 =23@C 25G@424J 8C@FA |:DD@FC: y@3D H:E9 yFDE:46]k^Am
kAm�(6 D9@F=5 92G6 #6AF3=:42? =68:D=2E@CD =@@<:?8 2?5 D66:?8 H92E E96:C @H? G@E6CD 2C6 E6==:?8 E96> 2?5 D2J[ �*@F <?@H[ >2J36 E96J’C6 @?E@ D@>6E9:?8 96C6 2?5 >2J36 x D9@F=5 7@==@H E96:C =625[V � 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm'@? v=29? =65 2 DF446DD7F= 42>A2:8? E@ C2:D6 |:DD@FC:’D >:?:>F> H286 7C@> a_ac’D C2E6 @7 S`a]b_ E@ S`d A6C 9@FC ?6IE y2?F2CJ E9C@F89 2 }@G6>36C 32==@E :?:E:2E:G6 E92E 2=D@ 8F2C2?E665 D:4< =62G6 7@C >2?J H@C<6CD]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 2 E:89E =23@C >2C<6E 7@C46D >2?J 6>A=@J6CD E@ A2J 23@G6 >:?:>F> H286 E@ 4@>A6E6[ G@? v=29? ?@E65 >2?J H@C<6CD DE:== 62C? 2E @C ?62C E96 =@H6DE =682= C2E6] %96 t4@?@>:4 !@=:4J x?DE:EFE6 6DE:>2E6D E92E >@C6 E92? 92=7 2 >:==:@? |:DD@FC: H@C<6CD H:== D66 C2:D6D 2D E96 DE2E6’D >:?:>F> H286 :?4C62D6D]k^Am
kAm�%92E D@CE @7 AC@G6D E96 A@:?E 2D E@ H9J E9:D :D D@ ?646DD2CJ[ H9J E96D6 8F2C5C2:=D 2C6 D@ :>A@CE2?E[� 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmu@C z22>:=J2 w@33D[ E96 |:DD@FC: =2H >62?D D96 42? 6IA64E 2E =62DE 2? 6IEC2 b` 46?ED A6C 9@FC @?46 D96 C6EFC?D E@ H@C< 2E pC3J’D 7@==@H:?8 >2E6C?:EJ =62G6]k^Am
kAm%9:D J62C’D ?6H >:?:>F> H286 @7 S`b]fd :D?’E 6?@F89 E@ =:G6 4@>7@CE23=J :? z2?D2D r:EJ[ D96 D2:5] qFE 6G6CJ 3:E 96=AD 96C 277@C5 E96 32D:4D[ DF49 2D 5:2A6CD 2?5 323J 7@C>F=2]k^Am
kAm“xE H@?’E 36 2 9F86 5:776C6?46] qFE :E�== DE:== 36 2 =:EE=6 3:E @7 D@>6E9:?8 7@C FD[� D2:5 w@33D[ bb[ H9@ :D 2=D@ 2? @C82?:K6C 7@C 2 8C@FA 25G@42E:?8 7@C =@H\H286 H@C<6CD]k^Am
kAmx?7=2E:@? 92D D:8?:7:42?E=J 6C@565 E96 3FJ:?8 A@H6C @7 E96 DE28?2?E 7656C2= >:?:>F> H286] p5G@42E6D D2J C2:D:?8 E96 H286 7=@@C 96=AD =@H\H286 H@C<6CD 4@G6C E96 C:D:?8 4@DE @7 6DD6?E:2=D 2?5 3@@DED E96 64@?@>J 3J AFEE:?8 >@C6 >@?6J :?E@ E96 A@4<6ED @7 A6@A=6 H9@ 2C6 =:<6=J E@ DA6?5 :E] qFE >2?J 6>A=@J6CD[ 6DA64:2==J C6E2:=6CD 2?5 C6DE2FC2?ED[ 4@F?E6C E92E C2:D:?8 E96 >:?:>F> H286 7@C46D E96> E@ 4FE H@C<6CD @C C2:D6 AC:46D]k^Am
kAmx? s646>36C[ !C6D:56?E\6=64E s@?2=5 %CF>A D2:5 96 H@F=5 4@?D:56C 2 ?2E:@?2= :?4C62D6 :? E96 >:?:>F> H286] %CF>A H@? `h @7 E96 a_ DE2E6D � 2== 3FE }6H w2>AD9:C6 � DE:== DF3;64E E@ 2 Sf]ad >:?:>F> H286] x? 2? }qr }6HD :?E6CG:6H[ 96 24<?@H=65865 E96 Sf]ad C2E6 H2D �2 G6CJ =@H ?F>36C[� 3FE D2:5 C2:D:?8 E96 >:?:>F> H286 E@@ >F49 H@F=5 564C62D6 6>A=@J>6?E]k^Am
kAm�%96C6 :D 2 =6G6= 2E H9:49 J@F 42? 5@ :E[� 96 D2:5[ H:E9@FE DA64:7J:?8 2 ?F>36C]k^Am
kAmt2C=:6C E9:D >@?E9[ p=2D<2’D >:?:>F> H286 H6?E FA `g 46?ED E92?<D E@ 2? 2FE@>2E:4 :?7=2E:@?\32D65 3F>A]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 DE2E6’D 4FCC6?E S``]h` C2E6 H:== :?4C62D6 E@ S`b E9:D yF=J[ E92?<D E@ E96 A2DD286 @7 2 }@G6>36C 32==@E >62DFC6] &?56C E96 >62DFC6[ E96 H286 H:== :?4C62D6 E@ S`c :? yF=J a_ae 2?5 S`d :? yF=J a_af[ 7@==@H65 3J :?7=2E:@?\25;FDE65 :?4C62D6D DE2CE:?8 :? a_ag]k^Am
kAm%96 32==@E >62DFC6 5C6H 7:6C46 @AA@D:E:@? 7C@> 3FD:?6DD 8C@FAD 3FE H@? 2AAC@G2= 3J dgT\caT] %96 ?6H =2H 2=D@ >2?52E6D 6>A=@J6CD AC@G:56 FA E@ D6G6? A2:5 D:4< 52JD A6C J62C � 2 >2;@C 4@?46C? A2CE:4F=2C=J :? D62D@?2= :?5FDEC:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 E@FC:D>]k^Am
kAmq67@C6 }@G6>36C’D 6=64E:@?[ >6>36CD @7 E96 p=2D<2 r232C6E[ w@E6=[ #6DE2FC2?E 2?5 #6E2:=6CD pDD@4:2E:@? D2:5 A2DD286 @7 E96 32==@E >62DFC6 H@F=5 C6DF=E :? 9:896C AC:46D 2?5 =625 E@ =2J@77D 2?5 C65F465 9@FCD 7@C H@C<6CD[ D2:5 $2C29 ~2E6D w2C=@H[ AC6D:56?E 2?5 49:67 6I64FE:G6 @77:46C @7 E96 @C82?:K2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 >:?:>F> H286 9:<6 H:== A2CE:4F=2C=J 9FCE D>2==6C 3FD:?6DD6D[ D96 D2:5[ 2?5 E9@D6 H:E9 E:AA65 H@C<6CD DF49 2D D6CG6CD 2?5 32CE6?56CD] p=2D<2 :D 2>@?8 D6G6? DE2E6D E92E 5@?’E 2==@H 6>A=@J6CD E@ A2J E:AA65 6>A=@J66D =6DD E92? E96 >:?:>F> H286[ >62?:?8 >2?J @7 E9@D6 H@C<6CD 2C6 2=C625J >2<:?8 H6== 23@G6 E96 DE2E6’D H286 7=@@C[ D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“x 8F2C2?E66 J@F H6 H:== 36 D66:?8 AC:46D 8@:?8 FA 24C@DD E96 3@2C5[â€� D96 D2:5] “vC@46C:6D 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 >@C6 6IA6?D:G6] t2E:?8 @FE :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 >@C6 6IA6?D:G6]â€k^Am
kAmqFE |2C< #@3@<@77[ H9@ @H?D E96 A6E DFAA=J DE@C6 pz q2C< :? p?49@C286[ D66D 2 9:896C H286 7=@@C 2D 8@@5 7@C 3FD:?6DD] w6 D2:5 E96 >:?:>F> H286 :?4C62D6 H:== AFE >@C6 >@?6J :?E@ E96 A@4<6ED @7 9:D 4FDE@>6CD]k^Am
kAm“xE’D ?@E =:<6 E96C6’D ?@ 36?67:E E@ E9:D 4@DE[� #@3@<@77 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%@ 2EEC24E E96 36DE DE277[ 96 D2:5[ 6>A=@J66 H286D DE2CE 2E S`f A6C 9@FC] qFE 96 6IA64ED E@ C2E496E E92E 7:8FC6 FA 2D E96 DE2E6’D >:?:>F> H286 :?4C62D6D]k^Am
kAmâ€�%92E’D H9J :E ?66565 E@ 36 2 =2H[â€� 96 D2:5] “xE @?=J H@C<D :7 H6 2== 5@ :E] %96? H6 2== 86E >@C6 C6G6?F6 2?5 A2J @FC 6>A=@J66D 2 =:EE=6 3:E >@C6]â€k^Am
