While the Federal minimum wage of $7.25 hasn’t moved in nearly a decade, several states and cities have set their own higher minimum wages, and many of those are planning increases in 2019. In the District of Columbia the new minimum wage is $14.00 an hour.
In Florida, the minimum wage is going up 21 cents effective on January 1, 2019 — to $8.46 an hour. Many economists believe that a minimum wage of $15.00 an hour is necessary to make ends meet in Florida.
Millions of U.S. workers will see increased pay in 2019 due to minimum-wage increases in 20 states and 21 cities.
Eight states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, and Washington State— are phasing in increases that will eventually put their minimum wages at $12 to $15 an hour.
In addition, 13 cities and counties are increasing their minimum wages to $15.00 an hour or higher in the new year.
On January 1, New York City’s new minimum hourly wage goes from $13.00 to $15.00 for businesses with 11 or more employees.
The state wage hikes range from an extra nickel per hour in Alaska to a $1-an-hour bump in Maine and Massachusetts and for California employers with more than 25 workers.Seattle’s largest employers will have to pay workers at least $16.00 an hour.
