Majority of States Signal the U.S. is Due for a Minimum Wage Hike

by Jordan Yadoo
10:00 AM EDT
April 15, 2015

As the hunt for wage growth takes center stage in the economic recovery, workers nationwide are rallying Wednesday for an increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour from the prevailing $7.25.

The message behind the so-called Fight for $15 has gained attention in recent months, with companies such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and McDonald's Corp. announcing pay-floor increases, and the city of Seattle approving a phased hike to $15 an hour. States are getting in on the action, too.



Some 29 states boast wage floors above the U.S.-mandated $7.25, just one short of the record 30 that precipitated the most recent federal increase six years ago.

That raise was the final piece of a phased hike that started in 2007 after a decade of inaction, during which the number of states beating the national minimum escalated from six.

The pay raise the Fight for $15 is demanding would be extraordinary. It would represent a 107 percent jump in the minimum wage at the federal level, making it the largest ever one-time increase, surpassing the current record holder in 1950. It's also well above the $10.10 wage that President Barack Obama has advocated.

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-15/majority-of-states-signal-the-u-s-is-due-for-a-minimum-wage-hike