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 have the ability to set a rate that is higher than the federal minimum rate and employers are obligated to pay the higher rate. Currently, there are 29 states that have laws at the state or local level mandating higher pay than the federal rate.
On September 15, 2017, the Department of Labor published a notice in the Federal Register that Executive Order 13658, effective January 1, 2018, increase the minimum rate generally payable to workers performing work on or in connection with covered federal contracts to $10.35 per hour.
Also, voters across many states approved ballot measures to raise their state minimum rates over time, with increases occurring through 2020. In 2018 there are 23 states, cities, or counties that scheduled an increase in their minimum wages. There are 19 states which have an increase that takes effect on January 1, 2018, including: 1) Alaska, 2) Arizona, 3) California, 4) Colorado, 5) Florida, 6) Hawaii, 7) Maine, 8) Michigan, 9) Minnesota, 10) Missouri, 11) Montana, 12) New Jersey, 13) New Mexico, 14) New York (city/county only), 15) Ohio, 16) Rhode Island, 17) South Dakota, 18) Vermont, 19) Washington.
States with increases occurring on other dates in 2018 (typically on 7/1/2018) include: 1) Illinois (city/county only), 2) Maryland, 3) Nevada, 4) Oregon, 5) Washington DC.
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.
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