PodcastsMay 20, 2026
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MajorsJan 03, 2018
Minimum Wage Going Up in 18 States
The increases range from 35 cents to $1 per hour and are the result of legislation, ballot measures or adjusting for inflation.
New York--Effective Jan. 1, a total of 18 states increased their minimum wage as the result of legislation, ballot measures or to adjust for inflation.
According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the states increasing the minimum wage due to legislation or a ballot measure passed by voters are: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
The other seven states increased minimum wage to keep pace with inflation. They are: Alaska, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, New Jersey and South Dakota.
The increases range from 35 cents (Michigan) to $1 (Maine).
A listing of the new minimum wage in each state along with the amount of the increase that brought it to that level is available on the EPI’s website.
Nineteen cities and one county also increased their minimum wage, effective Jan. 1.
They are: Flagstaff, Arizona; Cupertino, El Cerrito, Los Altos, Milpitas, Mountain View, Oakland, Palo Alto, Richmond, San Jose, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale, California; Minneapolis; Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, New Mexico; New York City; and SeaTac, Seattle and Tacoma, Washington.
In addition to these cities and states, the National Employment Law Project (NELP) reports that minimum wage increases are on tap for three more states and a total of 18 additional cities and counties later this year.
Meanwhile, minimum wage increase campaigns are underway in at least 17 more cities and states, some of which already have raised the base hourly pay as of Jan 1.
According to NELP, they are: Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, as well as the cities of Redwood, California; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Washington, D.C.
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