Workers across several Democratic-led states are set to ring in 2027 with another pay bump, widening an already sizable gap between state minimum wages and the federal floor of $7.25 an hour.Washington, California and Connecticut will all raise minimum wages that already top $17 an hour beginning Jan.1, while New Jersey and Michigan will also hike their wage floors — widening the gap with the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour. Washington will lead the pack at $17.73 an hour, up 60 cents from its current $17.13 rate.
Connecticut’s minimum wage will rise from $16.94 to $17.48, while California’s will climb from $16.90 to $17.40.New Jersey will increase its minimum wage by 56 cents to $16.48 an hour for most workers, while Michigan is slated for one of the largest jumps, rising from $13.73 to $15 an hour.AOC-BACKED $30 MINIMUM WAGE PLAN COULD BACKFIRE IN UNEXPECTED WAYS, EXPERTS WARNExperts warn that a $25 federal minimum wage could raise prices and cut jobs in some parts of the country.(Erin Clark/The Boston Globe/Getty Images)The hikes come as several Republican-led states have also pushed their wage floors well above the federal rate, though they remain below the highest-paying blue states.
Florida’s minimum wage reached $15 an hour on Sept.30 and will remain there through the end of 2027, while Missouri is also at $15.
Nebraska will increase its minimum wage from $15 to $15.26 on Jan.1.Washington’s statewide increase will come as Seattle pushes its own wage floor even higher.
The city’s minimum wage is slated to rise to $22.14 an hour in 2027, nearly $4.50 above the new statewide rate.Seattle’s wage requirements have also become a flashpoint in the debate over the costs facing local businesses.Beginning in 2025, all employers in the city, including small businesses, became subject to the same inflation-adjusted minimum wage.
Some restaurant owners who later closed their businesses cited rising labor costs among the financial pressures they faced....