February 27, 2026

A $25 Wage In Maryland Would Skyrocket the Cost of Living

This week, Maryland Delegates heard the first public testimony on a proposal that would raise the state’s minimum wage from $15 to $25 an hour by 2030, fully eliminate the tip credit, and increase the minimum wage every year after based on inflation. EPI’s research director Rebekah Paxton told the…
Virginia February 20, 2026

How Would a $15 Minimum Wage Impact Virginia Workers?

Virginia is now one signature away from enacting a $15 minimum wage — and potentially losing thousands of jobs and opportunities with it. Supporters say the measure will ease affordability pressures facing working families. However, economic research suggests the policy could worsen inflation and cost jobs, tradeoffs that lawmakers cannot…
February 13, 2026

New Study: Minimum Wage Hikes Raise Prices Up To 5.5%

Today, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the latest data showing January’s inflation rate dropped to 2.4% year over year – down from 3.0% this time last year. Yet as inflation appears to be recovering from historically high rates – a new EPI policy brief shows recent minimum…
February 6, 2026

No-Tip Credit California Comes Dead Last In Tipping Percentage

In his latest State of the State address, Gavin Newsom proudly touted the state’s various minimum wage laws as promoting “fairness” for Californians. The speech drew applause, but for much of California’s restaurant workforce, the data shows reality has been far less celebratory. California is praised by anti-tip credit…
January 30, 2026

Big Apple to Bad Apple? $30 Min Wage Proposal Will Hurt New York’s Restaurants

As a campaign promise, now-Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani pitched a $30 wage for the city. Now, it seems some state lawmakers are taking it even further – across the state. This week, New York state senators unveiled a new proposal to raise the minimum wage to…
Maryland January 23, 2026

Maryland Shouldn’t Repeat a Failed Experiment on Tipped Workers

On Tuesday, Del. Adrian Boafo joined One Fair Wage activists in Annapolis to promote legislation that would raise Maryland’s minimum wage to $25 an hour while eliminating the tip credit altogether. They say the public supports the legislation, but it doesn’t sound like they asked local tipped workers if they…
January 16, 2026

New Data: High Minimum Wage Cities Have Highest Cost of Living

For millions of residents, the cost of living in major metropolitan areas continues to climb, squeezing household budgets and forcing difficult tradeoffs on everything from housing to groceries. Sky-high minimum wage mandates may be making this problem worse. Policymakers often say higher minimum wages as a way to help workers…
January 9, 2026

Wage Hikes are Worsening The High Cost of Living

The New York Times says new wage hikes in effect this year will raise pay and help Americans struggling with rising costs. Decades of studies on the effects of raising the minimum wage say otherwise. The authors are right to point out that affordability is top of mind for…
New York January 2, 2026

New Data: NY Restaurants Lost 10K Jobs Since Last Summer

As the ball dropped to mark the New Year, New York’s minimum wage rose right on cue. On January 1, the hourly minimum climbed to $17 an hour across New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County, while workers in the rest of the state will see the minimum…
December 19, 2025

New Study: “Fight for $15” Minimum Wage Hikes Slashed Hundreds of Thousands of Jobs

As dozens of states, cities, and counties are set to raise minimum wage rates in the New Year, one brand new study shows that labor groups pushing wage hikes up to $15 per hour has resulted in significant job losses for younger and entry-level workers. A forthcoming study by economists…