labor lawAdivision of labor law center

The good news for employers is that most state minimum wages are holding steady in 2010. In January 2009, more than a dozen states increased their minimum wages. In 2010, only a few minimum wage changes are in effect.

The Kansas minimum wage increased from $2.65 to $7.25 on January 1, 2010. This is the first time in more than two decades that the Kansas minimum wage has increased. The change comes after more than a decade of efforts by Kansas Democrats. On December 31, 2009, Kansas had the lowest minimum wage of any state. Effective today, X states have lower minimum wages.

To be fair to Kansas, five states have no minimum wage whatsoever. They are Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee and South Carolina.

In an unprecedented step, the Colorado minimum wage actually decreased by 4 cents from $7.28 per hour to $7.24 per hour today. Most employees in the state are still covered by the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

About a dozen states annually increase the minimum wage based on the cost of living. However, in most areas the cost of living has shown a decrease of 1% to 2%. While many state statutes prevent the minimum wage from being reduced, they have not been increased.

States that have skipped the annual increase in minimum wage this year include Ohio, Washington, Oregon, Vermont, Nevada, Montana, Missouri and Arizona.

In Florida, by statute the state minimum wage cannot be (more…)

As of today, January 1, 2009, the minimum wage in Arizona became $7.25 an hour, when it increased from $6.90, a hike of 35 cents per hour.

The Arizona minimum wage applies to permanent, full-time employees, and temporary or part-time workers as well. Arizona has a new minimum wage law, and this marks the first yearly increase due to cost of living under this new law.

The new increase is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures the annual inflation rate. Arizona voters supported Proposition 202 on November 7 of 2005. The proposition was called the “Raise the Arizona Minimum Wage for Working Arizonans Act.” This law, A.R.S. 23-364(A) became effective on January 1 of the following year. Authority was given to the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA) to enforce the new Act.

The Arizona minimum wage became $6.90 per hour on January 1, 2008. The new law also protects (more…)

Employers have already been warned that the state minimum wage will increase with the new year in Oregon, Washington, Florida, New Mexico, Vermont, Colorado, Arizona, Missouri, Montana, Ohio and Connecticut.

However, employers in other states also have to contend with minimum wage increases this year.

Even if an employer has no minimum wage employees, each increase means the employer must update his or her minimum wage posters. By law, employers are required to display a variety of labor law posters prominently in the workplace. Failure to do so can result in fines, penalties and citations.

On July 1, 2009 the Illinois minimum wage will increase by 50 cents, from $7.50 to $8.00 per hour. This is the final step in a 3-tiered increase introduced by the now-infamous (more…)

Minimum wage changes in 2009 will require every employer in the nation to update his or her labor law posters.

On January 1, 2009 eleven states will increase the minimum wage. The majority of these states implement annual cost-of-living increases in the state minimum wage.

The biggest minimum wage increase in the nation this January is $1.00 per hour, in New Mexico. This changes the New Mexico minimum wage from $6.50 to $7.50 per hour. This is a statutory change, not a cost of living change.

The Washington state minimum wage remains the highest in 2009, increasing by 48 cents from $8.07 to $8.55 per hour. The Oregon minimum wage is second, increasing by 45 cents from $7.95 to $8.40 per hour. Third place goes to Vermont, where the minimum wage increases by 38 cents from $7.68 to $8.06 per hour.

There is a 3-way tie for fourth place, between Massachusetts, Connecticut and California. That’s due to a 35 cent increase raising the Connecticut minimum wage from $7.65 to $8.00 per hour.

Massachusetts and California have minimum wages of $8.00 per hour that do not increase in 2009. It’s worth noting that when the Massachusetts and California (more…)

The Arizona minimum wage will increase by 35 cents, from $6.90 to $7.25 per hour on January 1, 2009. This is the first annual cost-of-living increase under the new Arizona minimum wage law. The increase is based on the annual inflation rate as reported by the CPI, the Consumer Price Index.  

On November 7, 2006, the Arizona voters approved Proposition 202, also known as the “Raise the Arizona Minimum Wage for Working Arizonans Act.” Under A.R.S. 23-364(A), which became effective January 1, 2007, the Industrial Commission of Arizona was given the authority to enforce and implement the Act.  Effective January 1, 2008, Arizona’s minimum wage increased to $6.90 per hour.  

Every employer covered under the Act is required to pay each employee wages not less than this amount, according to the Industrial Commission of Arizona.Effective January 12, 2008, final Administrative Rules under Title 20, Chapter 5, Article 12 were approved and are currently in effect.  

The Arizona minimum wage applies to part-time and temporary workers, as well as full-time permanent workers.  

Arizona permits employers to take up to (more…)