Blog Posts

Many states and localities are beginning to announce their minimum wage increases for 2027. And if last week’s announcement from California seemed bad, take a look at Denver. The city recently announced its minimum wage will rise to $19.84 per hour next year, up from the current $19.29. But…

Alameda County officials just hit the brakes on a proposal to raise the local minimum wage to $30 an hour. Rather than sending the measure directly to voters this November, the Board of Supervisors voted to delay it so the economic effects could be studied first. It’s a smart move…

As we approach highly-anticipated midterm elections this November, some high profile Democrats are saying raising the federal minimum wage is a good political issue candidates should focus on. Most recently, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker claimed Congressional hopefuls and current lawmakers should push to raise the federal minimum wage as…

Wage hike activists have argued that the current federal minimum wage has fallen to its lowest purchasing power in decades because it has not been increased since 2009. However, inflation data show this claim is misleading. Instead, economists find raising minimum wages will have serious negative consequences for workers and…

Wage hike activists routinely claim minimum wage hikes are necessary to creating a “living wage.” Their target wage amount typically hinges on arbitrary calculations of living costs that don’t align with workers’ living arrangements. A report claiming “Minimum-Wage Workers Can’t Afford Rent in Any of America’s Largest Cities” says wage…

Washington D.C.’s restaurant industry may finally be seeing a small reprieve after years of disruption caused by Initiative 82. The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington recently reported that restaurant closures have declined by 43% following the D.C. City Council’s decision to pause the remaining increases required under Initiative 82.

Nothing says summer like an ice cream cone, but depending on where you live, that scoop may cost a lot more than you expect. A review of single-scoop ice cream prices from a national ice cream chain reveals a not-so-sweet trend. Many of the most expensive scoops are found in…

This week, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) introduced legislation that would raise the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour by 2031 for large businesses, more than tripling the current federal minimum wage. The legislation would also eliminate the federal tip credit, increasing the minimum wage for tipped restaurant workers by…

Oklahoma voters rejected State Question 832 this week by a 10-point margin, striking down a proposal that would have increased the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. The language also would have raised the minimum wage every year based on inflation. The vote makes Oklahoma one of the…

Coming July 1, 26 states, counties, and cities will be raising minimum wage rates, according to EPI’s latest Minimum Wage Update Chart. Some will also increase additional minimum wage mandates for businesses of a certain size or industry, bringing the total number of increases up to 37. Among the…