US: raising the minimum wage in 18 states

The minimum wage in the United States has increased as of January 1 in 18 US states, an improvement in compensation that will benefit some 4.5 million workers. These wage increases differ across states, even counties and cities. They range from 35 cents an hour in Michigan (north) to a dollar an hour in Maine (northeast).

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These increases are the result of local legislation, referenda or Ministry of Labor directives announced in 2017 to increase certain public servants. They will represent a total of $ 5 billion annually distributed to 4.5 million workers, according to a survey of the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). The states of Maine, Vermont, Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Rhode Island, California, Colorado, Arizona and Hawaii will see their hourly minimum wage range from about $ 10 and just over $ 15 (in Washington State for example). Eight more states, including Alaska, Florida and Montana, will see more modest increases to keep up with the cost of living, says PPE.

Despite these increases, the federal minimum wage remains at $ 7.25 per hour and has not been raised since 2009. Some 29 states and the federal capital Washington have a minimum wage above this level. "Still, in 21 states, workers are paid much lower wages than their peers a generation ago," notes the PPE.