HR Tip: Minimum wage hikes effective January 1
On Jan. 1, minimum wage hikes went into effect in 13 US states and several major cities. Also, federal contractors began paying their employees $10.15 (up from $10.10) per hour. California and Massachusetts offer some of the highest minimum wages in the nation, at $10 an hour-while a handful of cities set a $13 hourly minimum.
Here are the state-by-state changes:
| State | Current | Jan. 1 | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $8.75 | $9.75 | $1.00 |
| Arkansas | $7.50 | $8.00 | $0.50 |
| California | $9.00 | $10.00 | $1.00 |
| Connecticut | $9.15 | $9.60 | $0.45 |
| Hawaii | $7.75 | $8.50 | $0.75 |
| Maryland | $8.00 | $8.75 | $0.75 |
| Massachusetts | $9.00 | $10.00 | $1.00 |
| Michigan | $8.15 | $8.50 | $0.35 |
| Nebraska | $8.00 | $9.00 | $1.00 |
| New York | $8.75 | $9.00 | $0.25 |
| Rhode Island | $9.00 | $9.60 | $0.60 |
| Vermont | $9.15 | $9.60 | $0.45 |
| West Virginia | $8.00 | $8.75 | $0.75 |
Source: qz.com
In Seattle, the minimum wage rises to between $10.50 and $13, depending on the size of the company. In New York, fast food workers and government employees saw their minimum wage jump to $10.50 in New York City and $9.75 in the rest of the state. Effective July 1, the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco will increase their minimum wages to $10.50 and $13 an hour.