State Minimum Wages

Posted on January 2, 2015 by admin

• States’ minimum wages rise, helping millions of workers, By Rachel Abrams, December 31, 2014, New York Times: “For some low-wage workers, everyday tasks like spending money for bus fare to get to and from work also involve deciding which bill to pay or delay, or what to give up. Rita Diaz, 26, who works two low-wage jobs, sometimes walks the three miles home from her job serving chicken at a Popeye’s fast-food restaurant in Roslindale, Mass., when she doesn’t have money for all of her expenses. Her plight is one of many highlighted by labor advocates who have been pushing for higher minimum wage levels. In January, with an increase in the minimum wage in Massachusetts taking effect — raising hourly pay to $9 from $8 an hour — Ms. Diaz envisions being able to walk less and ride more…”
• More states raise minimum wage, but debate continues, By Yuki Noguchi, January 1, 2015, National Public Radio: “The minimum wage went up in 20 states Thursday, a day after the state of New York boosted its minimum, which means a majority of states now have a minimum wage higher than the federal government’s, which is set at $7.25. The state with the highest minimum wage is now Washington state, at $9.47 an hour. This comes almost exactly a year after President Obama called for raising the federal minimum to $10.10 an hour. Congress hasn’t acted on that, but by executive action, the president increased the base wage to $10.10 for federal contractors — a raise that also went into effect Thursday…”
• No evidence of negative fallout from N.J.’s higher minimum wage, By Maddie Hanna, January 1, 2015, Philadelphia Inquirer: “Even as New Jersey prepares to raise its minimum wage by 13 cents, economists and business groups are still sorting out the impact of the $1 hike in 2014. Groups that opposed last year’s increase to $8.25 argue that the extent of its harm cannot yet be determined – in part because the wage will keep rising. A boost to $8.38 takes effect on New Year’s Day, thanks to a now-automatic annual cost-of-living adjustment that voters approved in 2013. Those in favor of the higher wage say it appears to have done little damage to the state’s economy – and has possibly benefited it, with low-income workers believed to be spending the extra money in their paychecks…”