News

Minimum Wage Increases In 14 States And Some Cities

American Currency
Image via Pixabay

Despite a lack of federal wage hikes over the last six plus years, 14 states as well as some cities have increased their minimum wage with the new year.

Among the states that have hiked their rates with the new year, two in particular stand out – California and Massachusetts. In both states, the minimum wage for employees jumped a solid dollar, from $9 to $10 an hour.

South Dakota also stands out, but for a less appealing reason: the state’s recent increase marks the smallest of all the recent wage hikes. In the state, minimum wage jumped a mere nickel, from $8.50 to $8.55 an hour.

As for the cities, Seattle hiked its rate in an unusual fashion – enacting a sliding scale for the minimum wage that ranges between $10.50 and $13.

In San Francisco and Los Angeles, the minimum wage is scheduled to increase to $15 an hour over the course of the next six years, beginning in July of 2016.

Reuters reports that the wage hikes come in the wake of wage protests that erupted across the nation. One such protest, which erupted in November of last year, protesters across 270 cities took the streets in support of union rights for those employed by the fast food industry as well as a minimum hourly wage of $15 an hour.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the largest group of minimum wage paid employees is composed of fast food workers.

In Michigan, the minimum wage increased by $0.35 with the ringing in of the new year. The bill behind the state’s wage increase, in a fashion similar to Los Angeles and San Francisco’s, includes scheduled increases that are to be rolled out over the course of the next two years. Come January of 2018, minimum wage in the state is scheduled to eventually reach $9.25 an hour.

In regards to Seattle’s rate hike, McKenna Haley with Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream on Capitol Hill was quoted by King 5 as having said on Friday morning that the extra dollar she’s now getting is “really awesome.”

I’m getting a raise today. It’s really awesome. I get a dollar more and I didn’t even have ask for it

What are your thoughts on the recent rate hikes across various U.S. cities and states?

Click to comment
To Top

Hi - We Would Love To Keep In Touch

If you liked this article then please consider joing our mailing list to receive the latest news, updates and opportunities from our team.

We don't want an impostor using your email address so please look for an email from us and click the link to confirm your email address.