The current federal minimum wage, under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), is $7.25 per hour which has been in effect since July 2009. States can set a rate that is higher than the federal minimum rate and employers are obligated to pay the higher rate. Currently, there are 29 with laws at the state or local level mandating higher pay than the federal rate.
Voters across multiple states approved ballot measures to raise their state minimum rates over time, with increases occurring through 2020 and beyond. There are 21 states implementing a rate increase on January 1, 2020, including:
1) Alaska
2) Arizona
3) Arkansas
4) California
5) Colorado
6) Florida
7) Illinois
8) Maine
9) Maryland
10) Massachusetts
11) Michigan
12) Minnesota
13) Missouri
14) Montana
15) New Jersey
16) New Mexico
17) New York
18) Ohio
19) South Dakota
20) Vermont
21) Washington
For more details, click on the following link to view the WageWatch Minimum Wage Chart with details of federal, state and local minimum wage increases: WageWatch – U.S. Minimum Wage Increases. (Some states vary wage rates based on company size or annual revenue.) In addition to the statewide minimum wage increase, multiple states have approved minimum wage increases that are higher than the statewide average. (The increases are referenced in the attached Excel spreadsheet). NOTE: There are a few states and cities that increase rates on July 1, 2020, and/or other months throughout 2020; where known, they are noted.
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