A Washington State minimum wage increase goes into effect on Jan. 1. According to a report in The Seattle Times Monday (Dec. 31), the rate in Washington will increase to $9.19 per hour. That will keep the state's rate as the highest in the country for another year.
The federal minimum wage is still at $7.25, which is the rate that most states follow each year. That begins to show the rising gap between the national average and what Washington is doing to try to deal with inflation. It doesn't get close to the $10.55 that San Francisco will paying out as their minimum rate in 2013, but it shows how high the Washington rate has grown.
This isn't something that was voted on by the current administration in Washington, though, but rather an automatic adjustment. This adjustment kicks in on the first day of the new year as a way to compensate for the ever-increasing inflation rates.
While this may come as great news for employees that are making minimum wage, it is equally bad news for some employers trying to keep costs down. That is the dichotomy with the situation and one that won't make everyone pleased that Jan. 1 is about to hit again.
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