New Year will usher in a pay raise for many low wage earners

For many minimum wage earners, January 1, 2018 will mean higher pay. 18 states and numerous localities are raising their minimum wage for the new year. Unfortunately, despite efforts to increase the federal minimum wage, legislators have still kept it at a low $7.25 an hour.

The states expected to raise minimum wage include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Washington.

While critics of higher wages argue that increasing the minimum wage costs jobs, proponents note that raising the bottom not only helps those individual workers, it also boosts the overall by providing more money to spend on necessities such as food and clothing.

Georgia will not see a raise in the state minimum wage, although the City of Atlanta and other localities throughout the state have increased the pay rate. For all others, the applicable minimum wage rate will remain at $7.25/hour.

If you have questions about your rate of pay, or any other wage and hour concern, please contact the experienced Atlanta wage and hour lawyers at Buckley Bala Wilson Mew LLP for an immediate case evaluation.