The States Have Given Up on the Federal Government Raising the Minimum Wage

While the federal government has lagged in raising the minimum wage, many states are taking the lead in raising minimum wages on their own. More than twenty states raised their minimum wages at or near the beginning of 2023. Some states raise the minimum wage through inflation adjustments automatically. Others have legislated slow stair step increases so as not to dramatically impact businesses. Ballot initiatives to increase the minimum wage have performed surprisingly well in more conservative states such as Arkansas, Missouri, and Florida. At a time where inflation and wage inflation is rampant, the federal minimum wage has become less relevant economically.

The minimum wage still has impacts across the country. The restaurant industry and particularly fast food can be effected by minimum wage increases or changes in market wages. One can speculate about the price impacts of raising the minimum wage. At least, in this economy, states that have raised the minimum wage do not appear to be seeing job losses.

The challenge of state by state wage and hour laws is that it creates a compliance nightmare for companies who have operations in multiple states. This issue is even more complicated now that more companies rely on a remote workforce.

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