Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on email

Minimum Wages Are Rising In Blue States (And Some Red States)

In part because of Bidenflation, the minimum wage is going up in 23 states and Washington D.C. this month.  One way to keep inflation high is to mandate a higher wage than would apply under market conditions.

The federal minimum wage is only $7.25 an hour but many Blue States are at or will soon be reaching a $15 an-hour wage floor.  That includes Washington state ($15.74), California ($15.50), and Massachusetts ($15). They will be joined by Connecticut this summer and New Jersey next year.

California’s legislature tried to raise its minimum wage to as high as $22 an hour for fast-food workers, but that move has been blocked pending a voter referendum on the issue.

Even Nebraska voters approved an increase in the minim wage from $9 an hour to $10.50 last November. Gradual increases will increase the rate to $15 an hour by 2026.

A high min wage drives up the unemployment of teenagers and the least skilled adult workers. The effects are not especially negative when the job market is strong, but it’s a killer if we go into recession and layoffs start coming.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE
Unleash Prosperity Hotline

 

1155 15th St NW, Ste 525
Washington, DC 20005