More Than A Dozen States to See Minimum Wage Increase in 2014
More than a dozen states are getting ready to shell out more to low-income workers. While most of the increases amount to less than 15 cents, workers in New Jersey will see their minimum wage go up by $1 to $8.25 an hour. Fellow northeastern states, Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island are also seeing decent bumps. With hikes ranging from 25 to 75 cents an hour. Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington round out the list. They’ll get more modest increases, although Washington will still have the highest minimum wage in the country, at $9.32 an hour. The hikes come amid a national debate over low pay. Fast food and retail workers have walked off the job numerous times this year calling for better wages and more hours. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour. Fast food workers earn an average of about $9 an hour but want more. While many republicans believe raising wages would lead to a pullback in hiring, President Obama has thrown his weight behind the issue.
