New Year’s Day will bring good tidings indeed for the roughly 2.5 million low-income American workers who will see their hourly pay climb when 13 states increase the minimum wage on Jan 1.
New Jersey residents voted in November to increase the minimum wage by a dollar, to $8.24 per hour. Lawmakers increased the minimum wage to $8.70 in Connecticut, and $8 in Rhode Island and New York.
Workers in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington will see a minimum wage increase due to annual cost of living adjustments, CNN Money reports.
Currently, 19 states have a minimum wage set higher than the federal level of $7.25 per hour. As of Jan. 1, that number will increase to 21 states.