As the clock ticks into 2024, millions of American workers will welcome a pay increase. Minimum wage adjustments are set to take effect in 22 states and 38 cities or counties across the nation in the new year.
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Data from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) shows that 12 states, including California, Arizona and Connecticut, are raising minimum wages based on an inflation adjustment formula.
Meanwhile, eight states, including Maryland, Illinois and New York, have enacted new laws to boost their minimum wages. Nebraska and Missouri voters approved ballot measures to do the same.
Hawaii will see the most substantial increase, jumping from $12 per hour to $14 per hour. On the other hand, Michigan will witness the smallest rise of $0.23 per hour, reaching $10.33.
Starting Jan. 1, Maryland, New Jersey, and upstate New York will join California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Washington in establishing a minimum wage of $15 or higher, with Washington leading at $16.28 per hour.
While the wage hike is sure to make an impact on retail and fast-food workers, small, local businesses must also prepare to pay employees more.
Business owners like Victoria Foster of Victory Lane Boutique in Cincinnati, Ohio, emphasized the need to raise salaries for employees.
“You have to be able to raise salaries for employees just to be able to survive, to be able to live comfortably,” Foster said.
However, the minimum wage increase may not benefit all workers in the 22 states. Some business owners may opt to cut staff to manage higher costs.
In California, where the state minimum wage reaches $16 on Jan. 1, fast-food workers will see an even more significant increase to $20 per hour by April 2024.
Nearly 10 million workers are expected to see a pay raise in the new year, with EPI estimating that almost 60% of those workers are women, and over a quarter are parents.
Despite this shift, it’s important to note that the federal minimum wage, stagnant since 2009, remains at $7.25 per hour.
States to raise minimum wage in 2024:
- Alaska: $11.73.
- Arizona: $14.35.
- California: $16.00.
- Colorado: $14.42.
- Connecticut: $15.69.
- Delaware: $13.25.
- Hawaii: $14.00.
- Illinois: $14.00.
- Maine: $14.15.
- Maryland: $15.00.
- Michigan: $10.33.
- Minnesota: $10.85.
- Missouri: $12:30.
- Montana: $10.30.
- Nebraska: $12.00.
- New Jersey: $15.13.
- New York (upstate): $15.00.
- New York (NYC, Long Island, Westchester): $16.00.
- Ohio: $10.45.
- Rhode Island: $14.00.
- South Dakota: $11.20.
- Vermont: $13.67.
- Washington: $16.28.
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
MILLIONS OF U-S WORKERS WILL SEE A PAY BUMP IN THEIR PAYCHECKS NEXT YEAR.
THE NEW YEAR WILL BRING NEW MINIMUM WAGES TO 22 STATES AND 38 CITIES OR COUNTIES NATIONWIDE.
ACCORDING TO DATA COMPILED BY THE ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE…
12 STATES WILL RAISE MINIMUM WAGES BASED ON AN INFLATION ADJUSTMENT – AN ESTABLISHED FORMULA… SUCH AS CALIFORNIA, ARIZONA, AND CONNECTICUT.
ANOTHER 8 STATES PASSED NEW LAWS TO INCREASE THEIR MINIMUM WAGES… INCLUDING MARYLAND, ILLINOIS, AND NEW YORK STATE.
AND VOTERS IN TWO STATES – NEBRASKA AND MISSOURI — PASSED A BALLOT MEASURE TO INCREASE THEIR MINIMUM WAGES.
HAWAII WILL SEE THE LARGEST INCREASE – JUMPING $2 FROM 12-DOLLARS TO 14.
MICHIGAN WILL SEE THE SMALLEST INCREASE – AT AN ADDITIONAL 23-CENTS AN HOUR…
MAKING THE WAGE TEN-DOLLARS AND 33-CENTS PER HOUR.
STARTING JANUARY 1ST – MARYLAND, NEW JERSEY, AND UPSTATE NEW YORK WILL EITHER REACH OR EXCEED $15-DOLLARS AN HOUR – JOINING CALIFORNIA, CONNECTICUT, MASSACHUSETTS, AND WASHINGTON – AS SETTING THE MINIMUM WAGE AT $15-DOLLAR AN HOUR OR MORE.
WASHINGTON STATE WILL HAVE THE HIGHEST MINIMUM WAGE – AT 16-DOLLARS AND 28-CENTS PER HOUR.
THE MINIMUM WAGE HIKES WILL NOT ONLY AFFECT RETAIL AND FAST-FOOD WORKERS – BUT ALSO EMPLOYEES AT SMALL, LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES.
AND SOME BUSINESS OWNERS ARE PREPARING TO SHELL OUT MORE FOR THE LABOR.
VICTORIA FOSTER OWNS A CLOTHING BOUTIQUE IN CINCINNATI, OHIO AND SPOKE WITH SCRIPPS NEWS ABOUT THE WAGE HIKE…
(VICTORIA FOSTER / OWNER, VICTORY LANE BOUTIQUE)
“You have to be able to raise salaries for employees just to be able to survive, to be able to live comfortably.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
BUT NOT EVERY WORKER MAKING MINIMUM WAGE IN THE 22 STATES SET TO SEE A HIKE – WILL SEE A PAY BUMP BECAUSE – NOT EVERY BUSINESS OWNER IS GOING TO KEEP THEM AROUND AS THE HIGHER COSTS ADD UP.
CALIFORNIA’S STATE MINIMUM WAGE WILL INCREASE TO $16 ON JANUARY 1ST…
AND IN APRIL 2024 – THE MINIMUM WAGE FOR TWO SECTORS – FAST FOOD WORKERS AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS WILL RISE EVEN HIGHER.
FAST-FOOD WORKERS IN CALIFORNIA WILL BE PAID A MINIMUM OF $20-DOLLARS AN HOUR… FORCING FAST-FOOD COMPANIES TO CUT STAFF.
(LESLIE MARIN / REPORTING)
“well more than a thousand pizza hut delivery drivers will soon be out of a job here in southern california.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
THAT’S RIGHT – PIZZA HUT IS LAYING OFF 12-HUNDRED DELIVERY DRIVERS –
BEFORE CALIFORNIA’S NEW WAGE HIKE LAW GOES INTO EFFECT.
OF THE NEARLY 10-MILLION WORKERS expected to see a pay raise… THE EPI ESTIMATES WOMEN MAKE UP NEARLY 60 PERCENT OF THE WORKERS SCHEDULED TO SEE A PAY increase.
AND MORE THAN A QUARTER OF THE WORKERS GETTING A BUMP ARE PARENTS.
CURRENTLY — THE FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE HASN’T RISEN SINCE 2009…
IT’S STILL AT 7-DOLLARS AND 25-CENTS PER HOUR.
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