In 2024, workers in 22 states and numerous localities will experience a wage increase, with the majority of them reaching at least $15 per hour.
This surge in minimum wage is a result of years of advocacy and organizing by workers and labor groups.
While the federal minimum wage remains at $7.25, many states have raised their minimum wages above this level. (Trending: Democrat Found Guilty In Corruption Trial)
The impact of the federal minimum wage has lessened due to the pandemic’s inflation and wage gains at the lower end of the income scale.
Despite opposition from business groups and GOP lawmakers, there is broad public support for increasing the minimum wage, as evidenced by successful ballot referendums.
Yannet Lathrop, a researcher and policy analyst who authored National Employment Law Project (NELP) analysis, said, “In 2024, we are likely to see more wins.”
State increases slated for Jan. 1, 2024:
Alaska: $10.85 to $11.73
Arizona: $10.85 to $14.35
California: $15.50 to $16.00
Colorado: $13.65 to $14.42
Connecticut: $15.00 to $15.69
Delaware: $11.75 to $13.25
Hawaii: $12.00 to $14.00
Illinois: $13.00 to $14.00
Maine: $13.80 to $14.15
Maryland: $13.25 ($12.80 for small employers) to $15.00
Michigan: $10.10 to $10.33
Minnesota: $10.50 to $10.85 (large employers); $8.63 to $8.85 (small employers)
Missouri: $12.00 to $12.30
Montana: $9.95 to $10.30
Nebraska: $10.50 to $12.00
New Jersey: $14.13 to $15.13
New York: $15.00 to $16 (New York City area); $14.20 to $15 (Upstate)
Ohio: $10.10 to $10.45
Rhode Island: $13.00 to $14.00
South Dakota: $10.80 to $11.20
Vermont: $13.18 to $13.67
Washington State: $15.74 to $16.28
“In many areas, the mandated wage floor is starting to rise above the $15 that long served as a rallying cry for low-wage workers,” said Lathrop.
“You can’t leave policies like the minimum wage to employers because they are at liberty to do these things,” explained Lathrop.
“This is a labor standard, not just a matter of what the market dictates. Whether the labor market is tight or not… that policy is there for the protection of workers,” she continued.
“If you put it in the form of a ballot initiative, they probably will pass it,” predicted the researcher.
There are expectations for more wage referendums to succeed in 2024.
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