The federal minimum wage lags behind the minimum wage enacted by many states, and in some cases, it lags far behind. The $7.25 wage has not changed in more than ten years, but perhaps the federal government is leaving it to be decided on a more local level. After all, the cost of living in Seattle, WA is a bit more then it is in Springfield, MO.
The minimum wage in Ohio now stands at $8.70 after a slight increase went into effect on Jan 1. Other states have a wage that dwarfs that of Ohio. The minimum wage in the state of Washington is currently $13.50.
The way stories of increasing minimum wage go is that there is initially a lot of hand-wringing over lost jobs, lost business, etc. Then the report goes that the reality is there is little loss of jobs, loss of businesses. But that is not always the case.
Canatta told King 5 that he expects to lose $40,000 this year with the increased minimum wage. Canatta says he’s already raised menu prices twice over the course of three years to compensate for the wage increase.
In 2021 Washington’s wage will hit the goal of $15.00/hr.